jlthornb51 An incredibly moving and beautifully done story out of some dark times in Britain's past. The script is a work of art and director Jim Loach does magnificent work in bringing this tragic tale to life. The cast is uniformly excellent and the film is as suspenseful as if Hitchcock had been at the helm. What really sets this film apart is a stunning performance by Emily Watson. She is nothing less than electric in this role and she adds another jewel to her acting crown with her work. Outrageously, she received no awards for this performance and this important motion picture went unnoticed by those who supposedly recognize excellence in cinema. Emily Watson defines fine acting and she is the most gifted actor of our time. It is amazing and upsetting that the magic she works in film after film is seldom rewarded. She is nothing less than a national treasure and was recently awarded with an OBE.

Syl The story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, who set out to rectify the truth about 130,000 British children deported to Australia with horror stories of slave labor and abuse by their caretakers. This film covers only a part of the story and her devotion to uncover the truth and reunite them with their birth families. Filmed in both England and Australia, the film highlights the contrast of worlds. The supporting cast is first rate but the film is based on the book. Hugo Weaving plays Jack, one of the adults looking for his birth mother. He gives a moving performance. Michael Denham plays Len who comes first across as arrogant and unlivable. I never expected to see him again in the film and surprised by his character. It is a great film with an award winning performance by Emily Watson.

suspira-483-995391 I would be lying if I said I didn't want this film to be better. It's not a piece of high drama by any stretch but it IS a slow burn of a film which highlights the stupidity and boorishness of government agencies when they've done something wrong and don't want to accept any responsibility to what happened to those in their care. When it comes down to individuals having to work on their own to get the information these displaced people so desperately need, SOMETHING is wrong. The film is not a far stretch from reality, having personally experienced this for myself.I was wondering if they'd address the sexual abuse suffered by the children within the system, as well as the physical toil they dealt with. I am glad to see that this was treated with sensitivity and WITHOUT fanfare. Fortunately it is barely mentioned aside from the last 10 or so minutes of the film. There is more than enough of that going on in recent world happenings anyway.Don't even get me started on the Christian Brothers anyway... that part of the film brought tears to my eyes as it reminded me very much of the tales my own father - also a ward of the state with the rest of his siblings and under the Christian Brothers' care in the 60s and 70s - told me. Frankly, the less said about that organisation of kiddy fiddlers and abusers, the better.Hugo Weaving is a minor character in this film but he's no less captivating as a broken man who has suffered from the loss of his identity. Indeed, even David Wenham portrays a victim of abuse in sheer, angry denial perfectly.Unfortunately Emily Watson's character does not carry much weight which is disappointing as she is the main focus of the film rather than the deported (or "Lost") children. Much of her dialogue is stale and it's the actors around her that pull the movie together. The scripting is very weak at times, however if you can put up with that, it's a film well worth watching.I can't say I enjoyed it because I am very close to it's subject matter but it was a worthy telling of a tragic mishandling of the lives of children of our past.

Saad Khan Oranges and Sunshine – CATCH IT (B+) The film tells the story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham who uncovered the scandal of "home children", a scheme of forcibly relocating poor children from the UK to Australia and Canada. Margaret reunites estranged families and brings worldwide attention to the cause. Deported children were promised oranges and sunshine but they got hard labor and life of misery and sexual abuse in institutions such as Keaney College in Bindoon, Western Australia. (Wiki) Oranges and Sunshine is a sensitive subject matter which defiantly put Britain in Shame when Margaret Humphreys broke out the story in 80s. Emily Watson's portrayal of Margaret Humphreys' trouble to help the transported kids all the way to Australia is heart wrenching. The emotional turmoil she goes to work for them while managing her family is something really inspiring. Emily Watson is a great actress and no doubt she brings her emotional range to the real life role model. In supporting cast Hugo Weaving & David Wenhem did a fine job. Overall, it's a sensitive movie about a sensitive issue. Keep in mind its tear jerker, so keep a box of tissue.