1) Auteurism - Alfonso Cuaron, whilst relatively new to the Hollywood business, is fast establishing his own distinct style. His influence can be seen throughout Children Of Men, most notably in the documentary-style lengthy shots not typical of a science fiction film.
2) Dystopia - Many science fiction films, including Children Of Men, employ a dystopia theme in their narrative. Unlike many other films however, Children Of Men centres its dystopian society around issues that are present in today's world affairs as opposed to 'alien invasions and robots malfunctioning'.
3) Guardian - Peter Bradshaw's review of the film covers many aspects I can use in arguing Children Of Men is not a typical science fiction film.
4) Cinema Verite - The lengthy shots used in the film undoubtedly incorporate a cinema verite style technique, at times making the film look almost like a documentary.
5) Hybrid - With so many different techniques being used throughout the film, it can be argued that Children Of Men is a hybrid genre rather than just science-fiction. This in turn would account for the documentary style elements felt in the lengthy shots.
6) Patriarchal Society - Despite being set in 2027, a patriarchal society still seems to exist. This is emphasised by the fact that the protagonist and hero of the film is a male on a misson to bring a female to safety.
7) Levi Strauss, Claude - Theory can be applied to the conflict between the Government and the terrorists, although what side (good or bad) they represent is open to debate.
8) Realism - No robots, no aliens, just a lot of humans at conflict with each other in the future - about as real as it gets.
9) Science fiction - The film doesn't rely on advanced technology or special effects to enthrice it's audience. In addition, there's no robots, aliens or superhumans and thus typical characteristcs of the genre are not used by Cuaron.
10) Academy Awards - The films cinematography and editing (key in arguing Children Of Men is not a typical science fiction film) were nominated for awards.
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