One of the most poorly written yet well acted films I've seen.

Rating: 6/10 (11 February 2012)

The writing in this film is atrocious. Is it really conceivable that a woman would condemn herself to life imprisonment because she doesn't want to admit that she can't write? Are we to believe for a second that the Michael character would care so much about an affair he had for one summer that it would decisively affect him for the rest of his life, regarding his future relationships and kids etc? And why did the writer think that he could throw all sorts of situations and ideas into this film from pederasty, to war crimes, to law, to morality, to forgiveness, to the power of art, to the need for redemption, to the subjectivity of evil, etc, etc without actually making any sort of point, except for perhaps one. Being that human beings have an effect on each other first and foremost in virtue of their humanity. It's the only thing that really comes from this movie and it's an important and moving observation but the contrived way he gets there verges almost on the embarrassing at times.
The thing that saves this film though is the acting. Particularly that of Kate Winslet. I've personally been a fan of Kate since her big budget venture in 1997 and she proves with this film that she has a shimmering talent that is still breaking new ground today. She is able to take the most implausible of scripts and characters and create something human and wonderful in this film. She is at times empathetic, tender and vulnerable and at other times hard, cruel and detached. The way she navigates her character's journey and finds truth amidst conceit is truly fascinating to behold. It is a master-class in the art of film acting. Ralph Fiennes and David Kross also should not be ignored for their committed and heart-felt portrayals of young and adult Michael. There are some great supporting performances from Bruno Ganz and Lena Olin too. The director allows these actors space to breathe and inhabit these characters and he makes a good choice as without that space the film would have been extremely poor.
This film is a triumph for Ms Winslet, not so much for Daldry and his writing team though.
6/10