The Children Act

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Grania H This is a throughly gripping film, both beautiful and profoundly moving. Emma Thompson is excellent as a senior judge who has invested so much of herself into her legal career and judicial persona that she has lost sight of herself. Even her downtime is filled with the rigor of studious piano playing, echoing the order and discipline that form the structure of who she has become. She has sealed herself off from life so successfully that even her husband's pleas for their marriage bounce off her with apparent minimal emotional impact. But the beautiful and inspired youth she meets as a consequence of her deciding a legal dispute over his fate touches her in a way that clearly nothing else had, for many years.. The divine blend of beauty and tragedy that is so hard to capture in any work of art. The impossibility of denying emotion in life is challenged in a surprising, lovely and dreadful way. Great pathos Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/27/24 Full Review Andrew W This film began with promise, mainly owing to the fact that it starred Emma Thompson. But it was this star lead that gave the film the appearance of being far better than it actually was. Had she been a man and he a girl, that long, lingering kiss in the pouring rain would’ve drawn a collective gasp of disdain from audiences and critics alike, provoking thoughts of Lolita or words like ‘inappropriate,’ and worse ‘paedophile’ ringing out from every living room in the world. Sad how female leads attract sympathy whereas male leads attract negative and media-hyped judgements. Thompson’s character was too thinly-layered for the film to have delivered on the pathos it intended to provoke with audiences. She: a white, upper-class, privileged Londoner with a dazzling career going through a few marital issues. He: a cancer-stricken young boy with controlling, religious zealots as parents. As a result, this onscreen partnership lacked substance and the film lost its credibility. Rubbish. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 10/02/24 Full Review ivan c A quality thought provoking film, excellent acting and great dialogue. Quintessential British film. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/26/24 Full Review Lynn Y I thought this was brilliant, far better than expected. Grear central performances. A real tear jerker. Thought-provoking. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/25/24 Full Review Georgan G Difficult choices in the truly examined life. Emma Thompson's character, a judge in Family Court, has both professional & personal choices to grapple with. Great to see a drama so moving. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/14/24 Full Review The Great John A While the first half is riddled with clichés and an uneven pace the minute Fionn Whitehead shows up I realised I hit a jackpot from a24. His acting combined with the heavyweight 2 time oscar winner Emma Thompson is unmatched compared to other a24 performances recently. While Stanley Tucci was a bit miscast it still doesn't make the film the end of the world for me. Overall amazing acting from Emma and Fionn combined with a beautiful second half elevates the film to 4 stars. Close to perfection and would recommend this to a a24 film buff. Grade: A Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Children Act

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