Child 44 (Cinema Screening)

(spoiler free)

Child 44 was one of the films in 2015 I was looking forward to most however I really knew very little about the film before today, that is how I like to go into a film though. It was the cast that got me looking forward to this film really. Firstly Tom Hardy is a boss and never disappoints me, Noomi Rapace was great alongside Hardy in last years The Drop so I was keen to see this partnership again and finally there is Gary Oldman who really speaks for himself.

As expected the whole cast where great here, they had challenges as many of their characters were quite complex and to add to this the relationship that each had with the others would have been challenging to convey but they did it very well. One actor who caught my attention was Joel Kinnaman, he has been starring in quite a few films recently and he seems to be great in everything he is cast in. Child 44 was no exception as he really was very good here and like the others demonstrated a variety of character traits, this guy will go on to star in some pretty special roles I think. The complex characters and relationships mean that Child 44 isn’t a straight forward thriller, there is almost another dimension to the film as it deviates from the usual pattern of mystery thrillers. This is both good and bad though, whilst it adds something slightly new to the genre I almost just wanted the straightforward thriller as at times I wanted more of the tension that Child 44 showed potential of having.

Now I have seen some negative reviews and comments regarding the film and how it is boring. I honestly can’t even begin to understand this. At 137 minutes the film is long, but this is no flaw as the film is paced very well in my opinion. It is very hard with a film of this length to make it engaging for its entirety but Child 44 really was, I never once became bored or even showed signs of being irritable. The film builds a lot before the plot offered in the synopsis begins but I enjoyed this, it meant that we actually knew a little about our characters and their histories. Some may find it annoying that things don’t get started straight away but this section is important and benefits the rest of the picture. The film is full of interesting subplots that keep your attention and there are plenty of scenes that offer engaging material throughout, Child 44 definitely isn’t boring. I really enjoyed the story here and the film brings it to life well, as I have said there was more room for even more tension than there was in parts but the film works as it is and makes for a really solid crime thriller.

Child 44’s impressive cast do what they do best here and deliver some great performances, most notably Joel Kinnaman stands out. The film manages to keep the viewer enthralled for its long running time and its several sub plots always keep you interested. Whilst they may detract some of the tension and potential of Child 44 the film is still a success and is very watchable.

Rating – 8/10