The Children Act is a drama based on a novel of the same name by Ian McEwan starring Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci.
Thompson is Fiona Maye, a judge who presides over deeply complex cases which consume her to the detriment of her marriage to Jack Maye (Tucci). Both Thompson and Tucci are fabulous in this and it really cemented Tucci’s place on my list of favourite actors.
Fiona hears a case about a 17 year old Jehovah’s Witness boy Adam who requires a blood transfusion in order to fight leukemia - something which his religious beliefs prohibit. I incorrectly assumed the case would be the bulk of the film when I saw the trailer but it’s in fact almost a jumping-off point for both Fiona’s and Adam’s stories, both of which are rich and complex. The story doesn’t head in a direction I ever would have predicted. No spoilers!
I think this is a really compelling drama and I’d happily recommend it to you. It’s not five-stars-perfect but three-and-a-half-stars-solid for me.
This news.com.au review also gives it 3.5 stars and is worth a read if you want to know more about the plot.
Trailer here. In cinemas now.