British drama in which a judge must decide whether to force a teenage Jehovah's Witness to have a life-saving blood transfusion.
Sharp, smart and well-executed, though a misplaced Stanley Tucci feels wasted.
True, it's heavy-handed at times, but the issues it raises – law versus religion – are provocative and potently explored.
If it lacks filmmaking fireworks and emotional wallop, The Children Act delivers a sensitive, thoughtful drama about complicated issues. And it is another reminder, if one were needed, of the subtlety and skill of Emma Thompson’s stratospheric talent.
A disappointingly muddled affair, too buttoned up and self-conscious to work as melodrama but not especially insightful about the legal profession either.
[Ian McEwan's] only got himself and, in this case, director Richard Eyre, to blame for how facile and middlebrow it is.
General release. Check local listings for show times.