Although it leaves you wondering what happened, this is a movie that sticks in your brain. Like a good meal, you will think about it afterward. Disturbing and entertaining.

Children of Men is the best film of 2006. Hands down. It's so good, it easily makes my top 5 films of all time. Alfonso Cuaron has crafted the most important film of the year, and one that will be remembered for generations to come. Clive Owen brings quiet anger and desperation as Theo, an ex-activist who, like everyone else on Earth, is mourning the loss of Baby Diego, an 18-year-old who is the last born person on the planet. The year is 2027, and everyone has been mysteriously infertile since 2009. Terrorism is rampant, and the country (the film takes place in Great Britain) is in lockdown. However, small rebel groups are sill trying to figure this mystery out on their own. Among them are the Fishes, lead by Julian (Julianne Moore), an activist, and ex-lover of Theo, with the passion of having lost a child. Julian is a woman who finds answers at any cost, and due to his pull, she needs Theo. Once he's pulled into her plan (he initially does it for money, but you get the sense that there's still some spark left in their romance), he can't get out. Theo is a man who has lost hope, but he is reminded that hope exists when he's introduced to Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), a young woman who is pregnant and desperately needs the aid of sources outside of Britain. Using all of his resources, including his stoner compadre Jasper (a wonderful Michael Caine), Theo vows to help Kee, a living miracle who brings hope back to a man who believed it was lost forever. Cuaron's directing is top-notch, and he was robbed of an Oscar nomination. And the performances; some of the best of the year. Owen is a force to be reckoned with. He perfectly captures the sadness, the menace, and the compassion lurking beneath Theo's rough exterior. Caine is a hoot and a heart-breaker as Jasper, a man who has faith in a world that has lost their's. As Julian, Moore is fierce as a one-woman army of integrity and force. And as Kee, new comer Claire-Hope Ashitey makes Kee a young girl forced to become a woman, and one of strong will. With no one to use as a reference for pregnancy, she's a scared girl that is going through something that is not only life changing, but history making. Children of Men is fantastic film making, and brings about a message of hope in desperate and challenging times. It really couldn't have come at a better time.… Expand

One of those movies you wish would never end. The sets are wonderful. The characters are likable and believable. An excellent anti-utopia with tense action scenes.

An excellent and deeply disturbing film, that ended five minutes early.

If you keep the politics out as requested one would not accuse the movie of being liberal fear mongering. It may be exactly what you say it is, but your demons are your own. I saw a great movie with actors I like and enjoyed the storyline and action. After I saw the movie I read why people dislike it, mostly, they hate it for political reasons. Nice.

P.B., if you had any perception you'd have noticed that this movie was beyond and above politics (only people with ridiculous shortsightedness could accuse the film's motives of being political). It's a terrific thriller with something too many thrillers lack; a real heart. It's not out to preach politics. Stunningly filmed and deep without being to bleak, it's one of the best movies of the last few years.… Expand

Best movie I've seen this year. Cinematography is brilliant. Great sci-fi, great acting, great actors. Please go see it.

Without a doubt, the best, most startling movie of the year, if not the decade. It MUST be seen. It brings clearly into focus a world which is just around the corner--if not here already. Brilliant performances mixed with so many stunning moments...if the Oscars were anything more than a joke, this film would win in every catagory. See it. Now.

Powerful, thrilling and utterly immersing! This seemed to slip under the radar on the back end of 2006 without recieving the acclaim I think it deserves, and really was one of the best films of the year. This one will stick with you, a must see!

Departing from the trend in recent movie-making history, Cuarón crafts a movie that doesn't have to spell everything out, because the story isn't about the tragedy of infertility, but the tragedy of apathy in a society facing its own demise. Well thought-out, and stunning in presentation and value.

Movie of the year. Mark my words, the car chase alone will be subject of study in many Film Schools from years to come. A truly inspired movie in all respects, wich let us make the final thoughts, and as in all masterpieces, it doesn't need to answer all the questions, only morons which need everything digested and can't think for themselves may whine about the film's "loose ends". This movie is a true example of innovative film narration where any kind of prize there is falls short against this masterpiece, wich in many respects takes some of what interactive narration has given us, to achieve an unprecedent feel of inmersion, where we are not just spectators but participants as well.… Expand

The seeds of this movie scenario have already been sown in the real world and this film shows us the ugly flowering that could occur in twenty years if we fail to protect our civil liberties now. The gritty realism propels us into the sheer terror of this universe in a way the excellent, but more ideological, V for Vendetta did not.

The best movie I've seen from 2006. Everything is not all wrapped up at the end - and that's a great thing as it allows our imagination be a part of the story. I purposefully did not read any reviews or plot synopsis's going in, and was duly rewarded. Thus, I'm not going to say anything about the plot. I'll just say this: This is what a movie is supposed to feel like. Brilliant.… Expand

The second half of this movie is action packed.

A very good film with interesting scenes. It shows future with an alternative way and not as happy as some others films do!

Run, don't walk, to pick up the DVD for this movie. It's the most unsettling film that I've seen since "A Clockwork Orange." It's harrowing, mesmerizing, and, finally, devastating. There's a scene toward the end (you'll know which one when you watch it) that left me sitting on my sofa with tears streaming down my face ... it was an affirmation of the power of life in the face of certain death ... Alfonso Cuaron is turning out to be our best living director, and this is the best film released in 2007. Is it the best movie ever? Perhaps it sums up our post-9/11 age better than any film ever has ... it's definitely an unexpected masterpiece.… Collapse

Wow! Reading all these reviews, I guess you either love it or hate it. I love this film for the same reason a lot of people hate it- because not everything is explained. I think a lot of people posting low scores have been conditioned to expect Hollywood formula where you get a nice cosy package and don't have to think too hard. This was like a snapshot of the future focussing on one man; why do we nee to know his past or the intricacies of governemnt ideology? This painted a believable vision of consumer society gone mad; the acting was tremendous- a career high for Michael Caine.… Expand

This was a beautifully made film, it wasn't pretentious, it was raw, gritty and real.

One of the most thoughtful and heartfelt thrillers I have ever seen. Alfonso Cuaron has crafted a masterpiece that will not be forgotten. It is arguably one of the most overlooked films of the past ten years.

Personally I find this movie to be a full 10 out of 10 due to the intellectual stimulation it offers if nothing else. It dares to challenge the mind. I cannot speak for the book itself but as any sort of adaptation it shines as brilliantly as Lord of the Rings or Bladerunner. On the other hand the cinematic presentation of the material was absolutely stunning with massive uncut scenes that made it a definitively realistic viewing. Despite this many audience members may not enjoy the movie fully due to the simple fact that many people do not enjoy viewing movies to be intellectually stimulated on any high level. Suffice to say you will not enjoy this movie if you cannot question it. I would say it's a must have for any serious movie collection, regardless.… Expand

Visually amazing

In my opinion, this is the best film of 2006. Simply put, this is flawless filmmaking and a brilliantly conceived premise and execution. The whole cast and crew deserve high praise. The much esteemed tracking shots are not overrated in the least. There are many scenes in this masterpiece that made my jaw drop in their cinematic splendor. Pay close attention to the assault by hooligans on a traveling vehicle carrying pivotal characters. How did they do that? Wow! Great film and a definite must-see.… Expand

One of the greatest visual master pieces that I have seen in a long time. Alfonso has proved himself an excellent director, primely with his choice of long single take action sequences, which gives the film an even more believable appeal. It is one of the best sci-fi movies that have ever been brought to life on screen.

This is a great movie. It was emotionally captivating, had great action sequences and gave the right balance between solving the mysteries and letting us think for ourself. I honestly don't understand those who think this movie suck.

The characters and the world in which they find themselve struggling to survive (and save the human species) moved me moreso than any other film has in ages, But, ultimately, it was the story of disillusioned, beaten-down, ordinary people trying to make their way in a brutal world that can sometimes be quite beautiful but often is not and how they somehow find it in themselves to rise to the occasion and be heroic in ways they could never have expected of themselves. I watched the movie and immediately calculated my age in November 2027 to be 64. It's far enough away to be a world we can avoid if we elect the right leaders and globally make the right decisions, but it's also a world that's already here in so many ways - a world where Iraq is never contained and the entire world except possibly the United Kingdom has become Iraq. It's beautifully filmed and remarkably edited. The acting and writing is the best of 2006, possibly the best of the past ten years. It's despairing and anxiety-producing and supremely upsetting. And, strangely, it is the most hopeful movie I have seen in a long time. Many questions aren't answered - such as why women are infertile and no child has been born since 2009. But the people who live in this dystopian future, namely us 20 years from now, don't know these answers either. So would it really have been fair for me sitting confortably at the theater in Battery Park City to know when they didn't? See this movie. Wait a month or two and see it again. Then have a long conversation over pie and coffee with two friends who've also seen it more than once. It is uncommonly good filmmaking. Oh, and one more thing - in two scenes there are shots panning newspaper and magazine clippings; pay close attention and learn what's happened since 2006 - i.e. "Kazahkstan Annihilated" - the film delivers exposition as good as I've ever seen it.… Expand

Only intelligent people who don't need to be spoon-fed every single plot point should watch it. This movie plays out as the book, relies on stark realism of how the world would be without children, without a future. However it doesn't tell you anything, and the ending is left open. The director said it's up to the viewer to decide their own ending. An optimistic person will say 'happily ever after.' and A pessimist the opposite. And the average moronic moviegoer will say "But what happens next? ZOMG THIS MOVIE DIDNT TELL ME EVERYTHING IT SUCKS" So... what are you?… Expand

Anyone who rides this film off as no-braining idiot culture obviously has a clue on, well, not much at all... With it's surreal presentation, Children of Men gives just a tiny, oh so sweet taste on several powerful problems that could potentially rock the human race in times too come. As the director and producers explore and apply their philosophies, an interesting, albeit quite bland story emerges. However it is the way the world of Children of Men exacts itself on the viewer that makes this movie what it is. Hidden in the subtlties is indeed something rich that sets this movie apart and defines it as a must see.… Expand

The finest movie I have seen in a VERY long time. Superbly put together, the scary part was what was presented was just far enough to be in the future yet close enough to be disturbing. Brilliant.