Once again the Academy Awards will not be honoring the true best picture of the year. CHILDREN OF MEN, Alfonso Cuaron's revolutionary new film starring Clive Owen and Julianne Moore, is one of the most visually stunning, well-directed, and moving films I have seen in years. The film shows a society in decay and without hope since women became infertile. The messages in the film strike home especially with the current state of the world embroiled in the war on terror and the conflict in Iraq. There are some not-so-subtle references to both scattered throughout the film. I'm not going to get too much into the plot because I think readers can look up reviews if they want that or, more importantly, actually see it. One thing I will say about the film is that there is a battle scene towards the end that makes the opening of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN look like it was directed by Ed Wood.
The film is well-acted, the script is top-notch, and, most of all, the film is directed and shot in a way that has never been done before. Cuaron has elevated himself to Spielberg or Scorsese status with this masterpiece. CHILDREN OF MEN did manage to score a couple of nominations in the best cinematography, editing, and adapted screenplay categories, but the real crime is that Cuaron was not nominated for best director and the film was snubbed in the best picture category. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE? Are you kidding me? Good movie, but not deserving of a best pic nomination.
Critics have been praising the film and some have been making noise about the lack of Academy love it failed to recieve. It is truly a crime that the Academy once again failed to even nominate the true best picture of the year, but then again after CRASH won best picture last year and GOODFELLAS lost to DANCES WITH WOLVES what was I truly expecting? Oh well, at least PAN'S LABYRINTH got some Oscar love.
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