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The Children Act

2017

Richard Eyre

Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Fionn Whitehead, Jason Watkins ...

6.1

2,411

Drama British High Court judge Fiona Maye is a judge in a life-and-death situation when her court is faced with a teenage boy whose life can be saved — decrees materia medica — only by a blood transfusion. Based on religious objection, his Jehovah’s Witness parents refuse medical intervention.

	Author	Review
United States	Peter Debruge Variety	"'The Children Act' is that rarest of things: an adult drama, written and interpreted with a sensitivity to mature human concerns"	POS
United States	Stephen Farber The Hollywood Reporter	"A drama illuminated by two electric performances (...) The film has been intelligently adapted by McEwan himself, and Richard Eyre (...) has done a good job of direction in certain scenes"	POS
United States	Alonso Duralde The Wrap	"Emma Thompson can’t make 'The Children Act' (...) into something interesting and meaningful (...) It’s all so polite, so sober, so convinced of its own importance, that it never has a pulse."	NEG
United States	David Ehrlich IndieWire	"Emma Thompson is absolutely brilliant in an uneven Ian McEwan adaptation (...) A soulful and sophisticated adult drama"	POS
United States	Tomris Laffly rogerebert.com	"For filmgoers who would like to flex their intellectual muscles and engage with serious themes (...) Something quiet and tasteful that aims for the aging soul (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Peter Travers Rolling Stone	"Thompson never disappoints, nailing every nuance (...) This is acting of the highest order (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Ben Kenigsberg The New York Times	"A beautifully internalized performance from Ms. Thompson and the various efforts to highlight the cinematic potential in Fiona’s anguish (...) can’t override the tidy ironies of Mr. McEwan’s design."	NEU
United Kingdom	Fionnuala Halligan Screendaily	"Richard Eyre has guided Thompson to an exceptional performance (...) 'The Children Act' is a cerebral piece, for sure, and a disturbing one by the end"	POS
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"This is bracingly intelligent and civilised, with very good actors directed with clarity and care (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS

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