Alfonso Cuarón’s latest film, Children of Men, has everyone in the critical world talking. This includes, of course, the fine critics that populate Central Ohio. So in order to give you a taste of what Columbus’ critics have to say about this end of the year sensation, here are some clips:

“… it raises the stakes for all concerned, including the Spielbergs of the world, in terms of what a drama, a sci-fi flick, and a period piece can and should be. Like I said, Alfonso Cuarón is The Man.”

- David Medsker, Bullz-Eye.com

“… a brilliant flick, a carefully crafted vision of a horrifyingly depressed world that still manages to offer a glimmer of hope for mankind.”

- Neil Miller, Columbus Movie Guy (Hey, that’s me!)

“It’s a smart, powerful and depressingly accurate work about the state of the world, and how that state could be even worse.”

- J. Caleb Mozzocco, DoneWaiting.com

“Owen is subtle and tough, and he gives depth to a character that nearly any other actor working in Hollywood would reduce to the hard-drinking, devil-may-care leads that unfortunately overtake many action films.”

- John Ross, Columbus Alive

“Clive Owen has never been better as the beleaguered hero, and Michael Caine is a joy as a long-haired ex-political cartoonist now seriously into smoking weed.”

- John DeSando, WCBE

“Alfonso Cuaron, the Mexican director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, sprinkles a strong taste for survival amid the inhumanity while creating a completely realized world, much like ours but with a chilling twist.”

- Frank Gabrenya, The Columbus Dispatch

You can check out more reviews from the critics of Central Ohio as they become available on the Central Ohio Film Critics Association site.