“Children of Men” (2006) Starring: Julianne Moore, Clive Owen and Chiwetel Ejiofor Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón This movie came out a while ago, but I was lucky enough to see it in the theatre, even though my local theatres don’t usually play art films or nearly any film that isn’t first run. I don’t like to have to drive to Seattle just to see a film, so it’s nice when the local theatres get something new. I learned of “Children of Men” from a friend who isn’t a fan of Science Fiction. She had seen it and told me I had to see it, no matter what. And she was right. As I said to her “this is why I read and watch Science Fiction.” The best Science Fiction is fiction that makes you think and this movie does exactly that. This is a movie about a near future where the human race has stopped having children. This has caused panic and insanity and a lot of terrorism. On the surface, this movie is a classic of scifi — a post-holocaust society. Only the holocaust is more subtle than a nuclear war or asteroid destroying the world. But what I like best about this movie is the twist. It’s not just a post-holocaust, you see, the human race has stopped having children. But one girl is pregnant. There is a scene where a huge fire fight has occurred in the refugee ghetto when the baby is born in the middle of it. Baby and mother come down the stairs and as the soldiers see her, they put their guns down and stare in awe. They, just like the mother, have never seen a baby human before. Some drop to their knees, others cross themselves, and all fighting stops. It was a hugely moving scene. Even if you don’t normally like Science Fiction, you’ll like this movie. That same friend I mentioned at the beginning of this article responded to my comment “but this isn’t really Science Fiction, is it?” Yes, I believe it is, but beyond that it’s just good fiction.
