Children of Men (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206634/) surprised me. Like I Am Legend and Invasion and 28 Days Later and all of their ilk, the world we know has come to an end and our intrepid heroes pull off a coup in what is otherwise a land of icy savagery. However, what makes this movie stand out head and shoulders above the rest is its meticulous attention to detail coupled with a stark realism that lends it authenticity and brings it out of the set-piece constructs of the others names herein. Lives mean little in a world of terror, but how little is little? Caged like animals, easy violence, predatory crowds juxtaposed with Big Brother screens all over a dystopian urban landscape, make for a bleak drama that is almost Dickensian. Watch this movie

BTW, kudos to Clive Owen for his back-to back versatitily on Shoot 'Em Up (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465602/) - a rollercoaster ride of exaggerated cameos