Pop Culture Buzz

*** 1/2 STARS

This movie up until now hasn’t been talked about much by the pop culture community. It has just recently started to get a lot of much deserved attention. I was seriously blown away by the imaginative and scary world that Alfonso Cuarion has created. With “Harry Potter 3″ he transformed a kiddie tale into a serious adult thriller. Now with “Children Of Men” he has crafted a classic sci-fi drama with a “too real” of a story that is a scary reminder of how bad society is today.

In the near future the human race is at a stand still. Humans can longer reproduce and it has created a fury of anarchy and mayhem making society a brutal and barbaric environment full of violence and racism. But in the midst of this madness and turmoil a group of survivors find hope for humanity in the form of a pregnant, black refugee named “Kee”.

Clive Owen is one of the best actors we have today. I would even say he is much better an actor than George Clooney. He exudes a sexy charm and real life charisma that many actors like Brad Pitt do not have. His anguish and conflicting morals are shown with one facial expression or shrug. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and it shows with his superb, flawless acting technique.

Julianne Moore has a brief but effecting role as the leader of a government resistance group that is fighting against authorities who are making non-native British people into refugees. She fights to keep human rights alive in a time when there is no hope for a future or for their existence. Michael Caine is terrific in his small role as a friend of Clive Owen that sells weed and helps Owen out. These strong small roles give the movie a rich feeling when most futuristic movies are vapid and too cartoonish.

The plot is very exciting and even though you can read it clearly outlined by other reviewers, I will let you go see first so you will be surprised by its creativity and loving spirit of humanity. This movie gives you hope in a time when there is so little to spare. It reminds us of how we are on a track for devastation when we resolve to war instead of peace. The scene at the end when Owen’s character escorts Kee out of a battle in a building is striking and heart wrenching. I was moved to tears and admired the fearless portrayals of varying people filmed in this movie. This is a modern day classic and a sci-fi masterpiece.