The Children Act

It is not surprising to see a mesmerizing, completely involved performance by Emma Thompson as a British judge who is an expert in family in “The Children Act” law nor is there any question that in any movie Stanley Tucci would do a solid job, here as the judge’s husband of 20 years but does the name Fionn Whitehead ring a bell? Until I just looked up his credits and even after that I didn’t recognize him or the name as the young man who played the protagonist in last year’s “Dunkirk”. Whitehead, a 21-year-old, plays a 17 year 9-month-old Jehovah Witness with leukemia whose parents will not allow him to get a transfusion that could save his life. Being under the age of 18 he is not considered an adult and therefore has no say in the decision. This is an actor and a face I won’t forget again and the superb performance he gives with and opposite Thompson! Aside from being about the judge who acts as the protector, agent and guardian who follows the British Children Act of 1989 we also see the price of a person who has to decide life or death constantly in her private life. The thrust of the story is really the repercussions after the major decision is made. We also see the workings behind the courts and how a clerk, played by Jason Watkins, has many duties to perform so that all runs smoothly being important to the judge, the court and the law. As the parents of Whitehead, Ben Chaplin and Eileen Walsh don’t get as much time as they should but impress with a decision, no matter whom their God is, parents have to make. The film, written by Ian McEwan, based on his novel, is an adult drama, a courtroom story, about moral responsibility, love, intimacy and, at points, heart rendering. The direction of Richard Eyre is felt in a number of key scenes though both the writer and director, in small ways, don’t ring true. “The Children Act” is a must-see film not only due to the performances of Emma Thompson and Fionn Whitehead but also being a picture not heard about that should be making a lot of noise.

In a sense this films themes are about realising what you've lost, whats been ignored, in the important things in life - love and companionship. Its quite a thought provoking film. I have read the short story its based on and so I knew roughly what to expect and I'd assumed it would be quite a depressing watch but in a way it was actually, perhaps equally uplifting (thanks to the great performance by the teenage boy) and that came as a pleasant surprise. Emma Thompson also gives a decent performance - I very much believed her character was emotionally affected by the case this film centres on. It is somewhat sentimental and perhaps mildly cheesy but I wouldn't say its unrealistic or mired down in artificiality. I would recommend this film, yes.