SYNOPSICS
The Child in Time (2017) is a English movie. Julian Farino has directed this movie. Benedict Cumberbatch,Kelly Macdonald,Stephen Campbell Moore,Saskia Reeves are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2017. The Child in Time (2017) is considered one of the best Drama movie in India and around the world.
Children's author Stephen Lewis is shopping with 4-year old daughter Kate when she suddenly disappears. Failure to find her puts a strain on his marriage, his wife Julie leaving to live in a seaside village, though Stephen regularly visits her. Stephen continues to write but is asked by the prime minister to check on his best friend Charles Dark, who has resigned his cabinet membership to live in an isolated woodland retreat with his wife Thelma. Stephen is perturbed by Charles' apparent regression to childhood, reminding him of his own loss and, returning to London, erroneously believes that another little girl is Kate. Three years after the disappearance Thelma asks Stephen, still keeping Kate's room for her, for help with the increasingly disturbed Charles, leading to a shocking discovery though a later phone call from Julie provides a new beginning for them both.
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The Child in Time (2017) Reviews
Strange Movie
Based on a novel by Ian McEwan, the subject matter of the movie is not an easy one. Benedict Cumberbatch was really good in this. I applaud anything that takes on difficult subject matters, but it was a very strange movie and the plot was a little jagged in edges. I couldn't grasp where it was going or why. The unevenness of it makes it a tough one to rate and review. It was unsettling to watch and sometimes just plain odd.
Loved It
I am surprised at the negative reviews for this work. I thought it was a wonderfully gentle film which explored the ineffable sadness of loss - of a friend, of childhood and of a child. This is about what happens after the crying and shouting has stopped. Life goes on regardless - something most of us have to face at some point. When you doubt your own belief and hope and when ghosts haunt your waking days... this is a film about losing a grip on what is 'normal'. I found this film very moving - I did not expect any resolution or for everything to be tied up neatly at the end. Instead we are given a glimpse of adults fighting off despair and trying to find some sense and meaning. It was very well written, accompanied by some beautiful music and filled with excellent camera work. The best TV film I have seen for some while.
It's a puzzlement...
...In that, after finally getting around to seeing it last night, being unsure as to whether I disliked 'The Child in Time' or not. It does have some good things and it's to me nowhere near as bad as some of the reviews have said. However, considering the cast and the subject matter, 'The Child in Time' could have been so much better and it is easy to understand why the reaction to it was mostly mixed to negative. As well as having talented actors on board (Benedict Cumberbatch has rarely disappointed me, even in lesser projects where he tended to be one of the better assets of them) and that it touches on the very sensitive and daring subjects of a missing child and nervous breakdowns, 'The Child in Time' is also adapted from wonderful source material from Ian McEwan. Talking briefly about how it fares as an adaptation, 'The Child in Time' underwhelms, the book has much more depth, more consistent emotional and harrowing impact and the storytelling has far more clarity. As has been said many times by me, adaptations deserve to be judged on their own terms, on that front it's to me neither great or terrible, the unevenness of it makes it a tough one to rate and review. Starting with 'The Child in Time's' good things, where it fares most strongly is the acting, which is mostly very good with a couple of exceptions (Elliot Levey doesn't register in a heavy-handed and underwritten character that could easily have been cut out entirely). Benedict Cumberbatch gives a performance of true understated poignancy and honesty, a truly courageous role to take on and he does it justice with one really feeling his anguish and pain. Likewise with Kelly MacDonald, who in her emotional scenes wrenches the gut and heart without being overwrought and she also charms. The two have terrific chemistry together and succeed in portraying the emotional toll of one of the worst situations ever for a parent. Stephen Campbell Moore is touching in a more difficult role than one thinks and the bravery of his performance is equal to those of Cumberbatch and MacDonald. Saskia Reeves is a sympathetic presence. Apart from some jumpy editing where transitions seemed rushed and sudden, 'The Child in Time' looks good, especially in the beautiful and suitably bleak locations. Had no problem with the photography like some did, which is slick and matches the thought processes of the characters very well, as an epileptic who can be sensitive to the technique used. there are films and television shows that overuse and abuse it far more. The music score is haunting and soothing. There are elements that work well in the story. It starts off very well, starting off in a tense and affecting way. The outcome of Charles' story, the scene in the school and the eulogy were particularly emotionally powerful moments and while it was not focused on enough the main story resonates and is handled sympathetically. Cumberbatch, MacDonald and their chemistry have a lot to thank for this. However, much of the story execution could have been much better. Not enough time is devoted to the missing child story, which was the most interesting and well done part, and focuses too much on elements that are nowhere near as interesting or well developed. Charles' subplot had its moments, like the interplay between him and Stephen, but should have gone into more depth and not been as confused. More problematic were the pub/time, prime minister and the Child Education committee elements, the first made no sense whatsoever and was severely under-developed, the second was pretty pointless and underwritten and the third felt shoe-horned in and it felt disconcerting that for a Child Education committee it seemed they had their own interests at heart and not the children's. Writing had its moments, like the eulogy scene, but tended to be stilted and contrived. Structurally it was pretty scattershot where the back and forth was not always as clear as it ought to have been and it often felt like the writers didn't know what its primary focus was. The middle third, which was where things started to fall apart, drags. Apart from Stephen, Julie and Charles, the characters are either thinly sketched or superfluous. Really do have to agree with everybody who said that the near-universally panned ending is a huge let-down, far too abrupt, tacked on, rushed and left too many things unresolved (especially when it had a lot of strands that were crying out for resolution). In fact the whole thing felt incomplete. Overall, uneven and difficult to rate and review, didn't know what to make of it. Applaud anything that takes on difficult subjects that need more awareness, but 'The Child in Time' would have benefited from trying to take on less and doing more with its primary issues. 5/10 (my mixed feelings rating). Bethany Cox
All over the place
Based on a novel by Ian McEwan which itself is not easy to distil. Benedict Cumberbatch plays writer Stephen who loses his 4 year old daughter in a supermarket and is haunted by this loss as this mystical story flits backwards and forward in time. The jumbled up narrative leaves you unimpressed and confused, but at least you are taken in by Stephen's will to survive, take each day as it comes as in his mind his daughter is visible and there but also lost. In the meantime his marriage has fallen apart with his wife Julie (Kelly Macdonald) who blames him and then a few years later of them having a warmer relationship although the film ends with the unexpected birth of their son, the conception must have taken place before they separated or they briefly reconciled. The film also has a secondary story of Stephen's publisher and friend Charles Darke (Stephen Campbell Moore) having some kind of nervous breakdown and becoming increasingly child like. It not less a person than the British Prime Minister who tells Stephen to keep an eye on Charles. At first you might think this behaviour might be to something with Charles being involved in the abduction? It seems that is not the case. Charles becomes a man mentally in a childlike state lost in time whereas Stephen has lost his daughter physically. As the years go on it is Julie who tells him that one day it is likely the daughter will end up looking for them. The book was written in 1987 and maybe the film would have been more successful if it was set in the past. For example nowadays supermarkets have CCTV everywhere and security guards on the door. You cannot just walk into a school or classroom like you did 30 years ago.
Such a beautiful film!
This excellent production had a real feel of a high quality indie movie. Cumberbatch was outstanding as the desperate Stephen Lewis who for a split second takes his attention away from his beloved little girl, an action which is at the heart of this beautiful and yet painful story. And yet the story is also uplifting, and at times there are touches of real life humour as well. The relationship between Stephen and his estranged wife Julie is so real on screen. You can easily believe these two deeply love each other despite their difficulties that they face. Everything about this film is moving, thoughtful and filled with genuine emotions. And bravo for Cumberbatch's company SunnyMarch for for taking such cerebral material and turning it into a beautiful and moving film! Kudos all round to all involved in bring this to life.