Regina

Alfonso Cuaron has created a subtly detailed, dystopic and nightmarish vision of a not-so-distant future, either in time or familiarity. It is oppressively bleak, but certainly not hopeless. At times shockingly violent, the film also contains occasional moments of sly humour. Not only providing food for thought, it is also action-packed, unpredictable and suspenseful. Clive Owen is masterful in a demanding role requiring the expression of a full range of both muted and intense emotions. The woman who is to deliver humanity’s saviour is refreshingly flawed, complex, unpretentious, and delightfully crass. Symbolism permeates the entire film. Of particular symbolic interest are the animals which bark, scratch, moo and bleat for the audience’s attention in almost every scene. Clearly, unlike humans, animals are having no trouble breeding. Perhaps they’re meant to be a symbol of hope, to emphasize that the crisis is a uniquely human one or to draw attention to the natural world that we’ve lost our connection to but is still there to be rediscovered. Whatever the meaning, the interpretation is up for debate in a story that deliberately leaves unresolved the many questions that it raises. The ambiguous ending seems to suggest that the future is in our hands. It’s up to us.

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