Punch Drunk Critics

February 9, 2011

 

My love of Emily Watson isn't so secret to those that know me. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who dug her in Trixie, and of course our precious website is named after her film, Punch-Drunk Love.  She's one of cinema's great treasures, in my opinion, but I don't get to see her in action nearly often enough. So when she does do something it gets my full attention. 

Her latest flick, Oranges and Sunshine, is based on the true story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker and whistleblower who uncovered a British program called Home Children. That was when the British government forcibly relocated poor children to other countries, primarily Australia and Canada, in an effort to save money.  Margaret worked tirelessly to see that she could reunite as many of these families as she could.

It's a story I've never once heard mention of, so for that reason alone I'm intrigued. Hugo Weaving co-stars, and it also marks the directorial debut of Jay Loach, the son of Ken Loach(The Wind that Shakes the Barley).  Looks like he and daddy share the same cinematic point of view.  I'm not sure if we'll get a US release for this one as it has yet to secure distribution. The UK release has been getting kicked around quite a bit, initially intending to be released back in '09 and then again in December of last year. Now it's settled on an April release, so let's hope it does well enough to head our way.  Check out the trailer below for what I think looks like an amazing movie.