Such a frustrating disappointment

Sorry, this movie sucks

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This moving story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker who uncovered a scandal that saw British children deported to Australia, is highlighted by a superb performance by Emily Watson with some excellent supporting acting. The deportations took place in mid-20th century Britain to rescue children from slum neighbourhoods, alcoholism, poverty or in one case, to avoid the scandal of a child born to an unmarried, young woman. The trouble is no one bothered with the children's mothers or to anticipate the adverse effects on family life. The setting for the movie begins in Nottingham, England in the mid-1980's when Ms. Humphreys, in conversations with people suffering emotional problems, finds evidence of this nation-wide scandal. Humphreys shows justifiable outrage and can barely get her head around the scope of the scandal with its huge fallout for thousands of people. She is given a two year assignment by her sympathetic employer to travel and seek out the abandoned children. Her husband Merv, played by Richard Dillane, is her constant support throughout the crisis. Trips from England to Australia and back put her in touch with victims and family survivors. The experience leads her to experience emotional breakdown and heartbreak, from harassment and even violent attempts to stop her.In the end, she is able to reunite parents and siblings or find a trail that uncovers the identity of a loved one, only to find out it is too late. This movie shows the power of a single person who marshals the support of many others in the face of the official denials or failure to recognize the abuse of power directed at vulnerable people. Often, we expect the news media to safeguard us against the tyranny of government but occasionally individuals take a stand and bring some justice out of the misuse of power. Such is the case with Margaret Humphreys, who made a courageous decision to stand up for her convictions in the course of doing her job.

A gripping film, which tells a story of child migrants deported from the UK to Australia. Margaret, the film's heroine reunites estranged families and brings worldwide attention to the cause.The fact that the story was based on true events from the 1980s, with graphic tales of child abuse and social injustice, leaves me with a rather raw sense of disgust. Whilst the film is brilliant, I didn't actually enjoy watching it. It is the type of film that makes you think about all the wrongs in this world. But perhaps that is what makes it so brilliant. Worth a watch, but don't say I didn't warn you.

ORANGES AND SUNSHINE is an angry movie, that gains much of its power from the unemotional way in which director Jim Loach tells the story. There are no scenes of overt violence; rather he lets the middle- aged victims of government policy in the mid-Fifties tell their stories to Margaret Humphreys (Emily Watson) in harrowing detail.In the immediate post-war period, extending right up to 1970, the British government transported "orphans" - as they euphemistically put it - to Australia with the promise of uninterrupted sunshine and oranges every day (hence the film's title). None of the children were "orphans"; rather they were the illegitimate offspring of women who had "got into trouble" and had their babies forcibly taken away from them by the authorities. The policy of enforced transportation took these unwanted children off the government's (and the charities') hands.ORANGES AND SUNSHINE tells the stories of these children, all of whom have now grown up. Many of them experienced almost unbearable horrors during their formative years; and until Margaret gives them the chance, they have had little or no opportunity to talk about these experiences. Set in the late Eighties, the film depicts Margaret's struggles both to find the children's natural parents, as well as persuade some of the authorities involved to admit their culpability all those years ago.The action shifts between Nottingham in the United Kingdom and various parts of Australia. As portrayed by Watson, Margaret comes across as an indomitable yet sympathetic figure, who never gives up on her clients, despite many attempts to dissuade her. The clients, who include Jack (Hugo Weaving) and Len (David Wenham) find it difficult to come to terms with their pasts, even four decades later. One sequence is particularly harrowing where Margaret and Len visit the Brotherhood in the wilds of Australia; their impressions are intercut with interviews from other victims about what happened to them while staying with the Brothers when they were children. Out of sight, out of mind provided a convenient pretext for many of them to suffer the most unimaginable indignities.ORANGES AND SUNSHINE ends with a series of black-and-white archive footage of some of the real-life children smiling innocently at the camera as they boarded the ships bound for Australia. Their wide- eyed expectations of the adventure to follow contrast starkly with what really happened. We know a lot about what happened to prisoners during the Nazi period; what makes this film so powerful is that many of these children experienced similar treatment at the hands of representatives of so-called 'democratic' nations.

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.