Review: Emma Thompson elevates 'The Children Act'

Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 4:55 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 4:56 PM Central

by John Couture

There are few treasures in the world greater than watching Emma Thompson chew the scenery with great material behind her. Thankfully, we are treated to both a fantastic Thompson performance and a story that is equally up to snuff.

It's always tricky when you attempt to mix politics and entertainment. More often than not, the end result is a preachy piece of rubbish that feels more like a condemnation of your life rather than an entertaining discourse.

But, The Children Act is different.

From the previews, the film seems to be just another court drama in which great diatribes are thrown back and forth, but the film is so much more. In fact, most of the trailer is taken from the first act of the film and it's in the back half where the movie really takes off.

Emma Thompson plays a British High Court judge who has to rule on a case involving a child. He and his parents have religious convictions that preclude a blood transfusion, but without one, the boy will die. The so-called titular Children Act allows the court to intervene in the best interests of the child in cases such as these.

I went into the film expecting it to be mostly a courtroom drama heavy on dialog, but the film quickly veered away from that and something far more interesting started to come into focus. We often take for granted the moral repercussions that our decisions have on others. When you're a High Court judge or Supreme Court judge on this side of the pond, those decisions have ramifications far and wide.

The Children Act is less about the actual law as it is about the personal and widespread effects of being in a position to rule. With her marriage collapsing, Emma Thompson's character rightfully calls into question her qualifications to decide the fate of a single child, let alone the many more that would be impacted by the precedent of the law.

This theme is taken to the next level when the second half of the film gives her an up-close look at the ramification of her earlier decision. The real humanity and the impact behind it take center stage. The film comes full circle at the end and provides a rare example of a complete character study that has been seriously lacking lately in cinema.

If you trade out the storyline for one involving abortion over on this side of the pond and you can see how heated and important these decisions are. And yet, we rarely think about the people that are actually making these impossible decisions. With the recent events surrounding Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court fresh in our mind, The Children Act is more poignant now than ever.

I can't forget to mention Stanley Tucci who is very good as Emma Thompson's husband, but Emma steals the show every chance that she gets. Newcomer Fionn Whitehead continues his strong showing in Dunkirk with another strong performance. It is obvious that he is going to major talent moving forward.

But this is Emma Thompson's world and we are just fortunate to be living in it. The Children Act is now available on DVD.