Children of Men

Among this month's "movies for adults," Children of Men from director Alfonso Cuarn is receiving much four-star praise. The movie -- developed for over a decade by producer Hilary Shor -- is set in a worn-torn 2027 and is being called a masterpiece by not a few critics. One of them is Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe,who comments: "This is an extraordinary artistic breakthrough from a Mexican director who was already fearlessly good to begin with." Gene Seymour in Newsday writes that it "offers inventive energy, ferocious intelligence, and yet, affirmation of life against the most calamitous circumstances." Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post credits Cuarn for creating "the most deeply imagined and fully realized world to be seen on screen this year, not to mention bravura sequences that bring to mind names like Orson Welles and Stanley Kubrick." Geoff Pevere in the Toronto Star calls the movie "sometimes astoundingly effective" and "a formidably distinguished piece of pop filmmaking." And Manohla Dargis in the New York Times observes that Cuarn's film "is a gratifying sign that big studios are still occasionally in the business of making ambitious, intelligent work that speaks to adults."

Excellent acting, compelling story. No children have been born on Earth for 18 years. Facing extinction, many countries become chaotic. TV advertises suicide drugs. Britain becomes fascist, especially toward refugees, put in Nazi-like camps. Then one girl becomes pregnant (scared, brave, funny). Rebels want to use her, she just wants safety.