The Children Act

  • 12A (IRELAND)
  • 2018


MOVIE IS emotional compelling intelligent elegant terrific
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66 %
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$ 0 Million
See Where to Watch The Children Act
Positive Reviews 81
Negative reviews 20
Average Rating 3.3/5
emotional compelling intelligent elegant terrific

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  • Positive
  • Negative
2.0
The pale, sharp featured Whitehead brings an appropriately feverish intensity to Adam, who looks less like a typical 21st century teenager than Lord B .. EW
4.4
As mature as movies get, the elegantly costumed and designed The Children Act is a welcome getaway from the now fading summers loud fare. Rogerebert
3.0
Richard Eyre, whos made outstanding films like Iris and Notes on a Scandal, here fails to engage us. Common Sense Media
4.5
No matter how iffy the story gets, or how clinical Eyres direction becomes, Thompson makes it absolutely heartrending to watch Fionas veneer crack one .. Indie Wire
3.0
No matter how iffy the story gets, or how clinical Eyres direction becomes, Thompson makes it absolutely heartrending to watch Fionas veneer crack one .. Indie Wire
4.5
... The Children Act is that rarest of things: an adult drama, written and interpreted with a sensitivity to mature human concerns... Variety
3.0
A film that manages to be both wholly persuasive and utterly preposterous. The Guardian
3.0
Emma Thompsons performance, so elegant and vulnerable, carries the picture. The Guardian
1.9
The Children Act stages the clumsiness of belated domestic confrontations with the very coldness thats kept its characters from having discussed their ..
3.8
The Children Act feels utterly of a piece with the original book: urbane, understated, handsomely realized and impeccably interpreted by a cast of sup ..
4.5
The Children Act is a cerebral piece, for sure, and a disturbing one by the end, but Thompsons performance brings life to the complex moral questions .. Screen Daily
4.5
The questions raised by The Children Act, adapted by Ian McEwan from his own 2014 novel, are good ones, though hard ones to dramatize in a way that do .. Vulture
4.5
The two central performances could hardly be better. Thompson works here with remarkable subtlety. The Hollywood Reporter
4.5
A beautifully internalized performance from Ms. Thompson and the various efforts to highlight the cinematic potential in Fionas anguish... cant overri .. The New York Times
3.0
The film is carried through a lot... by the sheer quality and watchability of Thompsons performance. Telegraph
4.5
Its always rewarding to watch Thompson bring her lucid wit and deep emotional reserves to bear on a meaty role.
3.0
Another reminder, if one were needed, of the subtlety and skill of Emma Thompsons stratospheric talent.
4.5
Richard Eyre (Iris) directs this value laden drama based on Ian McEwans (Atonement) 2014 novel of the same title. Spirituality And Practice
3.8
Takes a loopy turn, but passes muster thanks to another career crowning performance by Emma Thompson Rogers Movie Nation
3.1
The drawback is that McEwan doesnt seem to trust the inherent strength and possibilities of the central aspect of the story. Mark Reviews Movies
3.0
the adaptation sings under the direction of Richard Eyre, its themes more evident in the hands of a never better Thompson and the astonishing Whitehea ..
3.1
Filmmaker Richard Eyre delivers a slow moving drama that ultimately works best as a showcase for three above average performances... Reel Film Reviews
4.0
Thompson remains the still focus of the drama, relentlessly intelligent on camera, impossible not to watch. The Times
2.0
Its a disappointingly muddled affair, too buttoned up and self conscious to work as melodrama but not especially insightful about the legal profession .. Independent
3.0
The Children Act never again reaches the intimate heights of that transcendent moment. Rolling Stone
3.5
This script demands attention and reaction, never letting the audience relax into simplistic arguments. Shadows On The Wall
0.5
If Emma Thompson cant make this drama about a family court judge conflicted over her own decisions and the precarious state of her own family into som .. The Wrap
1.5
The problem lies less with Eyres smooth directing than with the attenuated material, adapted from a rather anodyne novel thats far from McEwans best. Npr
3.0
Courtroom drama Portrait of a marriage Character study of a workaholic This frustratingly random film cannot figure out what it is or what it wants to ..
1.5
Unfortunately, shes so involved in her work that her husband of many years (played by Stanley Tucci) doesnt get much attention. Reel Talk Reviews
3.0
Some of the CGI isnt great, but its ambitious and strangely touching. Daily Mail
2.0
As with all the other politically correct canards repeated ad infinitum, thats utter nonsense. Daily Mail
4.5
Its incredibly well judged and terrifically calibrated, meaning The Children Act works strongest as a tight character study of the central female figu .. Film Inquiry
3.8
A single idea stretched out for nearly two hours, its an odd but strangely compelling film, but so ponderously paced that it doesnt always convince. Observer
2.0
The melodrama is piled on during the final act to an unbearable degree with material not even Emma Thompson can save. Flickering Myth
5.0
The Children Act is a masterpiece from beginning to end and it should not be missed. Flim Threet
1.5
It takes a very clever actress to explore those realms where cleverness will be of no avail. New Yorker
3.0
Two time Oscar winner Thompson shines in smart, sophisticated Ian McEwan based drama. Boston Herald
2.5
She presides over emotionally charged trials relating to family law. Boston Globe
3.0
After all, you dont see Paul Blart singing Yeats with gravely ill religious zealots. The Irish Times
4.5
Its a stale conflict that ultimately disparages an otherwise substantial female character. Birth Movies Death
3.0
More often than not, it feels like a pretentious episode of Holby City. Standard
4.0
Now suppose you happen to be the top man, theres a point where you dont exercise the faculty of judgment of the ordinary way, but simply the faculty o .. Tony Medley
4.5
Emma Thompson is quietly devastating in The Children Act, an Ian McEwan film that is only kind of emotionally manipulative. Pajiba
3.1
Even with Thompson, McEwans reworking of his novel for the screen feels more like a rather forgettable British themed episode of Law & Order than it d .. Movie Freak
2.0
The Children Act leaves you not only wanting more, but ready to binge it. Detroit News
3.0
Emma Thompson once again proves shes our finest actress working today. The power of the film is diluted slightly by an insistence of adherence to the .. Hey U Guys
3.0
This very faithful adaptation of Ian McEwans novel he wrote the screenplay isnt a barnburner but, anchored by Emma Thompsons excellent performance, de .. Now Toronto
4.5
There are many engaging and thought provoking trial scenes, but the film doesnt want to be merely a courtroom drama. Film Ink
3.0
It somehow manages to be both elegant and stuffily ponderous. Catharsis never really arrives. Raidió Teilifís Éireann
3.0
A gentle reminder that Thompson belongs in the spotlight, as her performance burns out long after the film does. Lw Lies
2.0
In one shot Thompson turns in the middle of a dialogue crisis to take one of those two steps towards the camera, face aglow with hold my pose emotion, .. Ft
3.0
Alpha is splendidly photographed, nicely paced, and allows us to imagine what it must have been like to live short, brutal, vivid lives surrounded by .. Independent Ie
4.5
However, this is a riposte for anyone who thinks that all the great contemporary British drama can only be found on television. Stuff
4.0
Its a film that shows, doesnt tell and the vast majority comes from the expressive silences from Thompson as we follow her train of thought, manifesti .. The Sun
3.5
The impeccable performances ultimately steer The Children Act to a compelling climax. Scmp
3.0
The Children Act is both a moving drama and an absorbing character study. The Film Pie
4.0
The Children Acts thought provoking nature aside, theres plenty to entertain on the surface. One Room With A View
4.5
With a stellar performance from Emma Thompson, The Children Act tells a moving story of a judge who must decide on life or death. Solzy At The Movies
3.5
Though it fumbles some of the deeper notes it tries to hit, The Children Act is a mature and thoughtful film that is, above all, a wonderful showcase .. Bitly
2.0
As with The Heat and Spy, action comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me benefits from serving up a female led spin on the genre. Scots Man
1.5
The acting is not the problem. It rarely is. And, within parameters, the movie is not dull. Just dont expect to feel much short of guilt in response t .. Film Journal International ..
4.5
Shes just as mesmerising when shes exercising the characters wit, too. Concrete Play Ground
4.5
A heartbreaking lament for loves lost and lives unrealised, a restrained, nuanced movie about nuance and restraint. Bfi
1.5
Ian McEwans compelling novel flatlines on screen despite solid performances from Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci. Original Cin
4.0
This is a film that poses important moral and legal questions, but its also a personal story in which a diligent woman, who regularly faces intense cr .. The Australian
4.5
While having some great ideas, it doesnt all mesh together great. Blacknerd Problems
4.5
The Children Act isnt challenging or upsetting, as that film was. New States Man
3.0
Its one tradition of modern Australian cinema we can well do without. Tiny Url
5.0
Still, Thompson and Whitehead shine, and director Richard Eyre has crafted a highly textured, respectable film about grown up issues. Datebook Sfchronicle
4.5
This is very Ian McEwan: tasteful, restrained, high minded, controlled. Spectator
4.5
McEwans script and Thompsons nuanced turn provide insight into human events not normally captured on TV or film in the name of entertainment. Kaplan Vs Kaplan
4.5
The players are excellent, with Tucci at his very best and Thompson delivering one of her greatest performances yet which, in a career like hers, is r .. Adelaide Review
3.0
The concept isnt bad, though a Roger Rabbit lift, but the execution is questionable. The Film Experience
4.5
THE CHILDREN ACT is a masterful study of intricate nuances of passion and abstention. The Diva Review
4.5
Ian McEwan specializes in preposterous plots, and The Children Act is as contrived as anything in his posh, voluminous, award winning repertoire. Cinema Scope
2.9
Needless to say, it emphatically doesnt work, no matter how hard Eyre and his cast are trying to salvage things. The Gate
4.4
Eyre and McEwan sometimes move so subtly, so calmly, that its not until the movies end that the full emotional impact of The Children Act is felt. Whe .. Movie Cricket
3.5
An emotional and interesting drama, raised up by Emma Thompsons nuanced and subtle performance. Though some of the films commentary is proclaimed so l .. Caution Spoilers
3.0
Although Emma Thompson is a gem, The Children Act minimizes its most interesting courtroom narrative with insignificant storylines during the first ha .. Sa Current
3.8
The Children Act at times looks like a cinematic TV movie, which isnt a bad thing necessarily. What I Watched Tonight
4.0
Ghostbusters star McKinnon then amps up the offbeat buddy humour to terrific effect: think a younger, dirtier version of Sandra Bullock and Melissa Mc .. Metro News
1.5
The Children Act can feel sluggish and melodramatic, weighed down with the use of superfluous flashbacks, letter reading voice overs, and the repeated .. Hot Press
4.0
A simple story about a senior judges decision against the backdrop of her grinding to a halt marriage made more complex because of the consequences. A .. Ready Steady Cut
3.0
Thompson meticulously incarnates this civil servant... but its hard to understand the reasons that lead the character iron like and inflexible to feel ..
1.5
Adam Henry initially exudes genuinely a sense of uncertain distance, post transfusion, as he becomes increasingly fanatic... and as the sentimentality .. Four Three Film
4.5
Thats largely because the film is most invested in Fionas perspective, and she doesnt understand Adam. Seventh Row
3.0
The first half sets a fundamental picture of elegance and nuanced complexity. However, its second act wanes in this momentum, it almost feels like the .. Flavourmag
4.5
While theres a sobering coldness to the entire screenplay, occasionally these moments of succinct dialogue find the mark brilliantly.
3.5
Whilst the film still proves watchable and absorbing enough to warrant a recommendation (Thompson really is that good), it falls short of being someth .. Brisbanista
3.0
A solidly compelling drama that melds together the sombre and the stirring, while also posing some harsh and fascinating moral conundrums. The National
3.1
Thompson who carries the film, both literally shes rarely off screen and emotionally; the burden of this particular case weighs down almost every line .. The Globe And Mail
2.0
Reaching an upsetting climax with little emotional satisfaction, its disappointing that such a serious matter ultimately feels so silly. Culture Whisper
3.0
We may be tempted to say that Richard Eyre, who is Thompsons godfather, deserves full credit for evoking a stunning performance from Emma Thompson. Big Apple Reviews
1.5
If theres a right and a wrong involved its not immediately obvious. Australian Financial Revie ..
3.5
A multi layered film full of surprises. Emma Thompson shines as a woman in despair. Jackiek Cooper
4.5
It moves with deliberation and rich dialog, many silences, and thoroughly captures the surface charm and inner struggle for disengagement of Judge May .. Malibu Times
4.5
Friendship and comedy make for awkward, hilarious, and ultimately touching bedfellows in Stan and Ollie. Isolated Nation
2.5
It also doesnt help that the characters are not as developed, either. The AU Review
3.8
The Children Act wanders into the tricky space created when what is moral and what is legal diverge, and law is made to suffice. Philly
1.5
Thompson goes along with it as best as she can, but its hard to watch this shift when we havent been given any believable reason why Maye would fall f .. Miami New Times
3.5
Children Act is predominantly a character study with a captivating plot lurking underneath. Dialogue and subtext are a delight, reminiscent of also su .. The Canadian Crew
1.5
On a positive note, it is an intelligent script and so doesnt just feed information which is important and should be applauded. Liquid Marmalade



See Where to Watch The Children Act