I was nervous about Children of Men, despite all the good reviews it got. It was based on a short story by P.D. James, and the one mystery novel by her that I’ve read has a hole the size of a semi. My initial concern made the movie even more powerful.

The pacing of the movie, visually and aurally, was what made it really work. From frantic to quiet, especially those first moments after the baby is born, when the world stops and listens to its cries. Its how all new parents feel, brought to stark life on the screen.