It is that time of the year. Award season will be here before we know it. Many of the studios are ready to release their annual, star-studded features, so to speak. Along the way, the world of film has become so expansive that the competition may, indeed, be getting over-saturated. With that, comes less room for success and fewer rewards when attaining success, overall. The latest encounter I have had, connected to this theory is a new project partially produced by BBC Films and partially distributed by DirecTV Cinema.

The basis of the story comes from a novel, published in 2014. The screenplay was actually written by the author of the book, Ian McEwan. I can only wonder, right now, exactly what the process was in going through the transition between the book and the movie. It is a subtle art form that few people can understand or relate to and is hit or miss, in terms of how successful it can be.

On board, to direct “The Children Act,” was a man who I have enjoyed some previous work of, especially 2006’s “Notes on a Scandal.” Interestingly enough, there are elements to this film that reminded me of that film, before I even made the connection that they shared the same director. Clearly, the producers sought Richard Eyre, due to his previous work, or Eyre was drawn to this movie because of his previous. Either way, the variables match up and make sense on paper, but what about beneath the surface, so to speak?

Well, topping the cast was Emma Thompson (“Beauty and the Beast”). She portrays Fiona Maye, a seasoned court judge, in the United Kingdom, who seems to specialize in family cases, whether it be a divorce settlement or a custody battle, for example. Alongside her, but never in front, was Stanley Tucci (“Transformers: the Last Knight”), as her estranged husband, Jack. He does not participate in a great number of scenes, but he is, also, not a part of the major focus in the film. I have come to expect greatness from Tucci in everything that he does, but he was not really given the opportunity for that, in this movie. Thompson, however, had her fair share of brilliant moments, throughout. I was truly enchanted to be reminded of just how talented she continues to be, as an esteemed actress.

Beyond those big names, a couple of others round out the rest of the field: Fionn Whitehead (“Dunkirk”) as Adam Henry, Ben Chaplin (“Snowden”) as Kevin Henry and Anthony Calf as Mark Berner. I had not seen Chaplin in a long time, but he was quite effective as the distraught parent of a child who is on the verge of dying from cancer, but is still choosing to stand by his personal convictions and beliefs, in the face of courtroom pressure. Adam is the child in question. He shares his parents’ beliefs and is mentally prepared to stand by his principles, regardless of the consequences. Even if you do not agree with Adam’s or his parents’ beliefs, I think we can all, at least, respect their level of conviction.

In today’s world, making a decision based on one’s principles seems to take a backseat to decision-making based on passion. Sometimes, the two are intertwined, which only serves to “murk the waters” even more. The characters of Fiona and Adam become the focal point to the entire story and they are, seemingly, forever-connected by their competing principles. A big question is set before us, as the audience. It is not easy to answer. For these two people, life and death are at stake, but so are integrity and morality. The question is not just about who is really right or wrong, from an objective angle, but, also, it is about whether certain people of influence have the right to subject others to compromise their personal values and morals.

From there, the plot takes an unexpected turn and heads off in a bad direction. At some point, I was reminded of “Notes on a Scandal,” but the scandal never really came. Adam became much too repetitive and I quickly lost my sympathy for him, as a character. Fiona, strangely enough, wound up being the more dynamic character. It came very late and hit hard, which made it more effective, but was this all there was to the story, from the novel? It wrapped up so suddenly, as well. What became of the parents of Adam? Their time on screen was brief, but much more interesting than Adam’s, overall. I did not write this story, but if I had, I would have written their parts differently.

Aside from personal preferences, the acting was very good, though some performances were much more apparent than others. I appreciate why Stanley Tucci held himself down for this role and Emma Thompson was very strong. I, also, think that Fionn Whitehead delivered what he could, but he really had no say in which way his character took off. For me, that just did not work properly. He should have had a shorter ending, while his parents sort their conflicted emotions out, instead. At the end of the day, the only thing really noteworthy about “The Children Act” is Emma Thompson’s performance.

Director: Richard Eyre
Producer: Duncan Kenworthy
Screenwriter: Ian McEwan
Starring: Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Fionn Whitehead, Ben Chaplin, Eileen Walsh as Naomi Henry, Anthony Calf, Jason Watkins as Nigel Pauling, Nicholas Jones as Professor Rodney Carter and Rosie Cavaliero as Marina Green
Production: FilmNation Entertainment and BBC Films
Distributor: A24, DirecTV Cinema and Entertainment One
Release: September 9th, 2017