THE CHILDREN ACT ****

 The British Cinema has a long literary tradition. Yes, we've had the Kitchen Sink Movement and Hammer and a whole lot of 'stiff upper lip' war movies but perhaps what the British Cinema does best is tell good stories, unadorned, often taken from good novels or, if written directly for the screen, following the format of a good novel and Richard Eyre's "The Children Act" is no exception, so it comes as no surprise that it was written by Ian McEwan and is based on his own novel and that the director has a very solid reputation directing for the theatre.

This is a 'problem picture' but since, Ken Loach apart, the British don't really do problem pictures there's also a strong back story about a marriage that's in trouble. The marriage in question is that of Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci, a very well heeled middle-aged couple. The central story, and the one that makes this a problem picture, deals with Thompson's role in a court case involving the son of Jehovah Witnesses who requires a life-saving blood transfusion contrary to his and his parents' faith. Thompson is the judge presiding in the case and it's her judgement that will decide the outcome.

The film of "The Children Act" is, indeed, the kind of literary cinema the British do brilliantly but it's more than that and not just because it deals with a serious and contentious issue but because of the immense skill of all involved. McEwan has adapted his novel superbly and Eyre directs it beautifully and at its heart lies a truly terrific performance from Thompson, too often cast these days in eccentric supporting roles but here given the opportunity to finally carry a picture again. Tucci, too, is excellent as the errant husband and in a first-rate supporting cast Jason Watkins and Fionn Whitehead, (the boy in question), are stand-outs. This is highly intelligent cinema, as gripping in its own way as any thriller and is a very pleasant and welcome change from so much of the  highfalutin art-house stuff we've been getting recently. Very highly recommended.