Reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

September 20, 2024
6.0
This had the makings of quite compelling drama dealing with loss, grief and longing but somehow the practical elements of the story as it played out didn't work for me. "John" (Jared Harris) and wife "Mary" (Juliet Stevenson) and happily enough married but it soon becomes clear that their daughter "Clare" got caught up with a bad-influence boyfriend and ran away from home some the years ago. The police suggest a revitalised campaign to support the impending anniversary of her disappearance and next thing there's a girl in their kitchen (Erin Doherty) armed with plenty of quite intimate knowledge of this couple and asserting that she's the long lost "Clare". "Mary" oozes a sort of maternal desperation to believe and welcomes her pretty unconditionally. "John", on the other hand, is much more sceptical and as the story unfolds this puts quite a strain on their relationship. Now the father does insist on some sort of DNA test, but not realistically - for my money - emphatically enough. He has significant doubts yet the plot allows her to take advantage of the vulnerable mother without his much more robust interventions to prove one way or the other. I know such scenarios can never black and white, but given the police are continuing to investigate - and coming up with leads that could prove/disprove the identity of their new child, I felt the story took just a little too contrived a direction and at times might be considered a bit cruel. Auteur Virgina Gilbert has dialled down the hysteria nicely and for such an emotive subject, she guides these two characters without too much histrionics and tantrums, but I just felt the thrust of the second half of the thing a touch too implausible from a man who must have loved and felt responsible for his wife as much as for a girl he hadn't seen in a decade. Stevenson is good in these down-to-earth roles, gels quite well with Harris and the film is worth a gander, but it's a bit unrealistic.

Recommendation Movies

4.7
Horror
View
4.7
Johnny Frank Garrett's Last Word
Johnny Frank Garrett's Last Word2016
8.2
Drama
View
8.2
Green Book
Green Book2018
7.5
War
View
7.5
Dunkirk
Dunkirk2017
8.2
Adventure
View
8.2
Star Wars
Star Wars1977
7.2
Action
View
7.2
Furious 7
Furious 72015
7.4
Action
View
7.4
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum2019
7.3
Adventure
View
7.3
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars: The Force Awakens2015
7.4
Adventure
View
7.4
Life of Pi
Life of Pi2012
8.7
Drama
View
8.7
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption1994
7
Drama
View
7
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
The Killing of a Sacred Deer2017
7
Adventure
View
7
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory2005
5.3
Thriller
View
5.3
Demonic
Demonic2015
7.8
Comedy
View
7.8
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski1998
8.2
Action
View
8.2
Gladiator
Gladiator2000
8.4
Drama
View
8.4
Fight Club
Fight Club1999
7.3
Fantasy
View
7.3
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them2016
7.3
Adventure
View
7.3
Bridge to Terabithia
Bridge to Terabithia2007
8.2
Horror
View
8.2
Alien
Alien1979
6.5
Comedy
View
6.5
Bad Moms
Bad Moms2016
7.2
Action
View
7.2
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman2017
© 2025 MoovieTime. All rights reserved.Made with Nuxt