After twenty years, Jack and Fiona’s marriage has reached
an impasse. They behave more like siblings than spouses. Fiona is overtired and
overworked. Jack has told Fiona he wants to have an affair. Fiona tells him
that the time to announce he wanted an open marriage is gone; that it was
before the wedding, not twenty years after. If he has an affair, she warns him,
their union is over. Jack leaves anyways.
Fiona is a family judge. She is used to ruling over
controversial cases. Her latest is one of a Jehovah’s Witness teenager with
leukemia who is refusing blood transfusions—that could prolong his life—on religious
grounds. Adam Henry is a precocious, and very devout seventeen (and nine
months) years old. His blood stats are all over the place because his body is
not producing new blood cells and the leukemia cocktail treatment attacks his
bone marrow—compromising his immune system, hence the much-needed blood
transfusions.
The Henrys—Kevin and Naomi, the parents—argue that “blood
is the essence of what it means to be human. Just as life is sacred, so is
blood; thus, mixing it with another is pollution, a contamination...It’s
rejecting God’s gift.” They also argue that the refusal of the blood transfusion
comes from Adam, that he is prepared to die and that it’s by no means a mirror
of their thoughts and beliefs. Needless to say, if Adam were to accept the
life-saving treatment he would be “disassociated”—cast out from their religious
community, which is not bound to happen because, as the Henrys emphasize, Adam is
not going to change his mind.
Judge Fiona decides to make a parenthesis in the case and
visit Adam in the hospital to know his state of mind. The young man she meets
is smart, indeed devout, but admits that he would like a chance at life. Fiona
laughs by his side, even shares a song while he accompanies her with his
guitar. Fiona rushes to court and rules that the Henrys and the church elders “are
acting against Adam’s welfare. That Adam must be protected from his religious
views, and that his life is more precious than his dignity.” She rules in favor
of the hospital and a life-saving blood transfusion for Adam.
The end? Not quite. Adam’s life is saved. By now he is an
adult, but has become religiously unmoored. He fights frequently with his
parents. He doesn’t understand how come they were prepared to let him die when
he was their only son. Is God and religion a sham? He starts leaving phone
messages to Judge Fiona. He follows her on her walk to work and gives her poems
and letters he has written. He wants her to know the person he has become, to
guide him. But Fiona tells him that he was just one more ruling, one more case
that is now over... that he must go on with his life and make the most of it.
Adam is convinced that his cancer will be back. Is he
right? And if he is, what will be his decision this time around?
The
Children Act is one quiet powerhouse of a film adapted for
the screen by Ian McEwan from his novel of the same title. The movie is
directed by Richard Eyre, runs for very carefully and tightly edited 105
minutes, and star Emma Thompson (Judge Fiona Maye), Staley Tucci (Jack Maye),
Fionn Whitehead (Adam Henry), Jason Watkins (Nigel Pauling, Fiona’s assistant),
Anthony Calf (Mark Berner, Fiona’s friend), Ben Chaplin (Kevin Henry, Adam’s
father), and Eileen Walsh (Naomi Henry, Adam’s mother).
The
Children Act is an astounding film on the strength of its powerhouse
performances, which I’ll get to in a moment. The music, the photography, and
cinematography are noteworthy, and so is the script, which conveys the
simmering tension between Fiona’s career and private life, the nuances of the
characters inner worlds, and the intensity of the moral and religious dilemmas
at stake. The film is character driven, so it may not be every moviegoer’s cup
of tea, but for those who stick with it, the rewards are immense. The Children Act is a haunting drama
that carries with it the quiet devastation of Atonement, underscored by subtle and
beautiful piano sonatas and light orchestration—original music by Stephen
Warbeck—that speak as much without dialogs than the film does with words.
Beautiful aerial and street views of London are highlighted, as is city life,
contrasting with Fiona’s domestic scenes and the pragmatism of court, and so
are beautiful country scenes rushing by through the window of a speeding train.
Emma Thompson has a career filled
with remarkable performances: Brideshead
Revisited, Sense and Sensibility,
Howards End, Remains of the Day...In The
Children Act she delivers her best performance ever. Period. Thompson’s
Fiona is one nuanced character, which she mines to perfection. Thompson’s Fiona
is very assertive in her career. She gives snappy legal answers. Her judgements
are fair yet invariably controversial, all contrasting with personal doubts
about her marriage, her demeanor that of an overtired, overworked person, which
she nails to a T. While Jack is away, Fiona stays awake in bed all night,
sometimes reminiscing about their happier times. She misses those moments but
is incapable of expressing it. Among her fellow barristers she is always
centered, always on guard. That protective shell is torn down when she gets to
know Adam Henry before and during brief encounters after his recovery. She is as
unmoored about her beliefs after those encounters as Adam is after his
treatment. To say that Emma Thompson has given her best is the understatement
of the year. Come the Oscars, she deserves a nomination for Best Actress.
It is so rare to see a young actor give a performance that
matches that of a screen legend, but that is exactly what Fionn Whitehead has
done in the role of Adam Henry. He matches Thompson’s nuance with his fiery
spirit. During his illness, his makeup makes him look as moribund as the medical
experts claim that he is. He is smart, devout—perhaps too fervently so for his
teenage years—and willing to sacrifice his life for his religion. It seems that
Judge Fiona may have intruded in his rather martyr-like plans of filming a
parting video and making his grand exit from this world. After his recovery, he
is no longer the same person he was. Adam becomes so unmoored than he no longer
believes in God, or does he? He refuses to talk to his parents and to accompany
them to Kingdom’s Hall. Life for Adam no longer has the same appeal. To say
that young Whitehead makes you feel every stage of his illness and grief is an
understatement. There is a particular scene when he follows Fiona to Newcastle
where she is staying at a friend’s estate, when he demands answers from
her...Answers that either she doesn’t have or is not willing to offer. His
performance in that scene makes watching the whole movie worthy. Fionn
Whitehead is an actor to watch.
Stanley Tucci is not given much screen time. He brings
intensity to his character but there is little room for him to shine or to
plead his case as a neglected husband. After all, he is pretty much an
afterthought in this story, the counterbalance.
I hope you enjoy this film and its strong performances as
much as I did. The Children Act is
one under-the-radar gem that should not be missed.
I did not even realize that a film had been made from this book. It was definitely a powerhouse of a book, as most of Ian McEwan's are. He is a writer of spare sentences but nothing could be deleted without changing their meaning. I can understand how this would have made a very thought-provoking movie. I'm glad you saw it and enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteHis novels translate very well to film. Atonement is an all-time favorite of mine, this one comes in close second. I definitely have to start reading his novels.
DeleteI too read and admired the book. I look forward to watching the movie. Excellent review Carmen!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judy. Enjoy it.
DeleteI read the book and recall liking it, I hadn't realized it was going to be a movie. Thanks for sharing Carmen.
DeleteIf you liked the book, you probably would like the movie because the author adapted it for the big screen. It is a fairly recent release, maybe still showing in some theaters around the country; it's masterly done. I highly recommend it.
DeleteThanks - I would have missed this for sure but I'll look out for it now. Great review.
ReplyDeleteLynn :D
Thanks, Lynn. I strongly recommend it.
DeleteYeah I can't wait to see the movie. Where did you see it, Netflix or where? But I sort of want to read the novel first. I like McEwan's books but haven't read this one yet. All the actors sound great. So glad you liked it. Wahoo
ReplyDeleteI saw it through Google Play. It was a strong four rating.
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