Director
Richard Eyre
(Notes on a Scandal, Iris)

Starring
Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci and Ben Chaplin

When the final credits rolled on The Children Act, much of the emotion I was feeling suddenly became a lot clearer; this film is based on an Ian McEwan novel from which he also adapted the screenplay. McEwan is perhaps best known for his novel and screenplay of Atonement, but is responsible more recently for one of the most surprisingly moving films that I’ve had the pleasure to watch this year; On Chesil Beach. What McEwan’s writing has the ability to do is find nuanced layers of human emotion that we don’t often get to explore in other films. There is a subtlety to his characters that make them at times heartbreakingly relatable, and The Children Act is no exception.

Emma Thompson plays the role of Fiona Maye, a High Court judge specialising in Family Law. Through this position she is made to rule on the case of a seventeen year old boy, Adam (Fionn Whitehead), who is refusing a blood transfusion to treat his leukaemia based on his Jehovah’s Witness faith and the hospital that is applying for control over his treatment. The film also explores the issues that are affecting Fiona’s marriage and the feelings associated with choosing a professional career over the prioritisation of intimate relationships and having children. Intertwined with this is the connection that is formed between Fiona and Adam while Fiona tries to determine Adams understanding of the physical consequences of his faith.

This film is an exploration of the complexities of human needs and their related emotions. Emma Thompson is superb in this role and conveys a rigid vulnerability behind a British ‘stiff upper lip’. There are multiple themes at play throughout the piece, which could be distracting for some, but if you allow yourself to feel the film more than you think about it, it will be a much more rewarding experience. Whilst it may not get the attention it deserves, Thompson’s performance wouldn’t be out of place if it were included in a slew of nominations in the upcoming awards season.

This is a remarkable film for anyone who enjoys something a little less obvious to the mainstream dramas out there, and Emma Thompson alone is worth the price of admission.

4.5 stars

Moviedoc thanks Roadshow Films for the chance to review this film.


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