Merrick again...

Billy ash wrote in with an interesting perspective on Alfonso Cuaron's CHILDREN OF MEN. Billy is a British Muslim...and this film is (in part) about an opression of civil liberties. This is a different approach to the film than we've sene in previous reviews, and we sincerely thank Billy for his time and effort.

This is a film I'm really looking forward to seeing; might work on the same level as SOYLENT GREEN, LOGAN'S RUN, and serval other films of that ilk. Which is a very cool (mighty good) thing...in my mind at least.

Here's Billy Ash...

Watched Children of Men last night, it was shown for free in the UK. I was iffy about seeing it, but I saw a 30sec promo on TV, and thought Clive Owen was superb in Closer, and in anycase the ticket was free, so what the hey.

I have to say, that I have not been as blown away, as shaken, as surprised in the cinema as I have since I saw "Fight Club". The world has changed since that film was released, and so has the UK. This film reflect that, in a matter of fact realistic way.

The plot involves a not too distant future London, where the last child in the world was born 18 years ago, and we follow Clive Owen's character as he gets embroiled into a turn of events, ultimately leading to the revelation that an immigrant girl is about to give birth to the world's first baby for 18 years. The story twists and turns and twists a little bit more. It's a grown up film that terrifyingly creates a living breathing London gone wrong, with civil liberties shot to pieces, and propaganda all-round. It's scary, because you can image that if we lose our liberties, at the rate that we are doing in the UK, that this is exactly were we are heading for.

At one point, we are in a very Beruit like immigrant-ghetto, and there is a threeway battle for the girl with a baby is going on in full strength. On the one hand, Clive Owen's character is trying to rescue her, towards a boat to Brighton, meanwhile a renegade militant group is trying to capture the girl for their own political means. On top of that, Sid, the policeman is after the girl, and Clive Owen for a reward. The camera is rolling, and explosions are happing all over the place. Rockets are being fired, people are getting shot, and trampled on, Tanks are returning fire as they roll down the streets. We go down one street, to the next, following Clive Owen, we see action that would normally require take-after-take, we see chaos, and we can follow it all, this is not CG, nor too-quick-for-the-eye. Meanwhile... the camera is still rolling, and moving, and following Clive Owen, all in one continuous shot.

This is groundbreaking cinema. Imagine the Omaha-beach scene from Saving private Ryan. Now image that level of chaos, without the camera cutting back and forth, but just rolling,, and rolling, and rolling.

On top of that, the stuff that's going on is down right scary and prophetic. The camera walks through an Islamic funeral march, straight outta Palestine, we see French immigrants marching through the ghetto, we see police kicking, shooting and generally abusing immigrants in a very Guantanomo- Abu Gharaib style, and it's all happening in and around London. It's all done in a truly believable way.

As for me? I'm writing as a British Muslim, who just wants to get on, and be both a good Muslim, and a good British Citizen. It was all working out great, until some idiots crashed a plane into the twin towers, and gave Tony Blair a chance to prove that he's happy to poodle with George Bush, and wreak havoc in the Middle East. Over the last few months, I've been feeling more and more uncomfortable with the way that the government, and my civil liberties have been heading. This film describes my fears played out.

Call me...

Billy Ash

CHILDREN OF MEN opens in the U.S. on Christmas Day.