The Children Act

"Life is more precious than dignity."

The Children Act sees the esteemed high court judge Fiona Maye (Emma Thompson) making lawful decisions in court that seal the fate of young and old clients alike. The film bounces back and forth between Fiona’s personal and professional life, and her deteriorating marriage (due to her dedication to her craft) coincides with the judge welcoming a case that sees her having to decide whether or not to save a dangerously ill teenage boy, despite his and his parents protests due to religious grounds. Maye takes an uncustomary visit to the young man, Adam, who is verging on adulthood, and after a profound encounter with him, she soon rules that he be given the treatment to recover with the best possible odds, despite his family’s objections. 

After a blood transfusion and a quick recovery, Adam repeatedly contacts Fiona, believing that after her interference in his illness, their lives are now somehow connected. He goes to the point of stalking her across the country, and this is where the film begins to quickly stagnate.

What started as an intense and compelling look at morality versus law and the implications of making life-altering decisions unfortunately loses its way and edges into pointlessly absurd grounds. The performances were powerful considering how little they were given to work with, the film being notably elevated by Emma Thompson’s levels of emotion that she brings, but sadly not enough to liberate the story arc altogether. It would have been a lot stronger had it remained focused on the ethical questions at hand.

★★★