I just saw it tonight and I really can't make my mind up about it. I'm not going too write much about the story so as not to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it. Also, I have not read the book upon which it is based, so I can't comment on it's accuracy or if the premise is different.
On the one hand I really enjoyed the cinematography, the production sets, the lighting and the incredible attention to detail of this future dystopian post-apocalyptic Britain. It certainly felt believable and real. You only have to look at what has been happening in the Middle East and other warring nations to see this kind of view on the news everyday, and it was quite scary to imagine UK in a similar state.
On the other hand I found the plot a little odd, the dialogue rather weak and the acting very hit-and-miss. Julianne Moore was great but I could have done without the Michael Caine Ham Class and Pam Ferris was awful. Of coures, no question that the lead role played by Clive I Am A Wooden Stereotype Owen would be abysmal. You tend not to care too much about the characters, although there were some key scenes that I did find quite moving.
The basic premise of the film -- that women have become infertile and the human race will become extinct -- I think is really secondary to the main issues raised, which are simply future 'what ifs' about the state Britain is in currently. With policies on immigration becoming more and more conservative, it's not much of a leap to see the future played out in this film -- a fascist police state that ends up murdering immigrants due to ttheir inability to deal with the influx of new people. Scenes in the film are painful reminders of the tragedy of the holocaust and are uncomfortable viewing.
The film is almost unrelentingly bleak and very depressing although there are a few humorous moments which do seem out of place. It may be perverse of me, but I actually really enjoy seeing how cinematographers and production designers see our future dystopias. Blade Runner, The Day of the Triffids, 28 Days Later -- they all successfully captured a sense of panic, fear, helplessness and decay. Children of Men succeeds really well here.
Some of the finer points in the film were glossed over and it wasn't entirely clear why women became infertile and what exactly the revolutionaries were aiming to achieve. This is a shame as I think these are the more interesting parts to the story and should really have been better developed in favour of some of the nonsensical escape scenes (jump starting the car successfully on a muddy flat but not being able to on a downward run?).
I also didn't like the end -- not because it was ambiguous as some people have suggested, but because it wasn't ambiguous enough.
On the whole I found the film quite interesting, visually compelling and would recommend it as an "average to good" film. It's just a shame that the ideas in this film could have been realised much better with a different script, better dialogue and some really good actors.
Oddly though, I'd quite like to see it again. It's the first film I've seen for a long time that has left me undecided about how I feel.
