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Oranges and Sunshine, trailer, a drama set in 1986, is the debut feature of British TV producer Jim Loach, and is based on the book Empty Cradles by British social worker Margaret Humphreys. Her book chronicles efforts to expose the British government’s child migrants program of the 1950’s and 60’s, where over 130,000 children were forcibly sent overseas.

Many of these children — who came from struggling, or single-parent families, and sent to Australia, and other former British colonies — were under the impression their parents were dead, and that a happier life awaited them elsewhere. The reality was anything but; many were abused by their new carers, or became child labourers.

Humphreys (Emily Watson) is a Nottingham social worker caring for orphaned children. She first becomes aware British children were sent overseas when a woman from Australia asks for help tracing her mother. While searching for the woman’s mother, Humphreys uncovers numerous instances of children being sent overseas.

After learning that Nicky (Lorraine Ashbourne), a woman in a support group she convenes, has a brother Jack (Hugo Weaving), who was sent overseas as a child, Humphreys travels to Australia. There she soon meets many hundreds of others who were taken from their families, including Len (David Wenham), who is trying to find his mother.

It soon becomes apparent that it wasn’t just the children who were lied to. As Humphreys continues to reunite now adult children with their families, she learns the parents, whose children were often forcibly removed from their custody, were also lied to. They were often being told their children had been adopted locally, not sent overseas.

Humphreys’ work however is an uphill battle that takes a physical and emotional toll on her. The British and Australian governments are unhelpful. Meanwhile, the charity and church groups who took the children in are angered by the allegations of abuse levelled at them, which results in Humphreys being threatened by their supporters.

Oranges and Sunshine is an intimate and personal portrayal of a dark chapter in our history. In 2009 then Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to the British child migrants, or Forgotten Australians as they are also known. His British counterpart, Gordon Brown, did likewise in 2010.

A compassionately made film that is neither sentimental or sensationalistic, Oranges and Sunshine is a moving, harrowing, and emotional drama. The lid is lifted on a government policy that aimed simply to save money — care for children was cheaper in Australia than Britain — and one that had no regard at all for those the would-be program purported to be helping.

Originally published Friday 10 June 2011, with subsequent revisions, updates to lapsed URLs, etc.

Get Low, trailer, a comedy drama, is the debut feature of American cinematographer turned film director Aaron Schneider. Collaborating with Chris Provenzano and C. Gaby Mitchell, who wrote the screenplay, Get Low explores the intriguing notion of attending your own funeral, as a living, rather than dead, participant.

Set in the late 1930’s, Get Low is based in part on the life of Felix Breazeale, or Uncle Bush as some called him, a man living in Tennessee. In 1938 Breazeale arranged a funeral party for himself — while still alive — to which eight to twelve thousand people attended.

Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) has lived alone in a cabin he built deep in the woods of Tennessee for most of his adult life. His self-imposed exile is the result of an unfortunate incident some forty years earlier. He is also the subject of all sorts of gossip, and his few visits to a nearby town, by horse drawn cart no less, attract plenty of, usually unwelcome, attention.

He never married, and has no family, but after hearing that an old acquaintance died, begins to reassess his guilt ridden past. He realises the only way to obtain redemption for his part in a long past transgression is to seek forgiveness before he eventually dies. Forgiveness of the divine kind however won’t cut it, he needs it from elsewhere.

He soon decides a funeral party, with him in attendance while still alive, is the best way to make this happen, and enlists the services of local undertaker, shifty Frank Quinn (Bill Murray), and his assistant Buddy (Lucas Black). While an unusual request, Frank is happy to accommodate Felix, given business has been on the quiet side recently.

In the course of preparations for the party, which include a radio interview, Felix is reunited with Mattie Darrow (Sissy Spacek), an old flame, who has returned to the area following the death of her husband. As Mattie learns more about Felix, and his bizarre funeral party, she realises she is linked to the event from which Felix desperately seeks absolution.

Get Low has the feel of a whodunit, as the story of what has been bothering Felix for so long slowly unfurls. It also features top notch portrayals by a host of veteran actors, especially Duval and Spacek. Murray meanwhile puts in his best performance in a long time, one with a little life, rather than his more usual dead-pan style.

A few people have been critical of the film’s ending. They feel it lacks punch or resolution. While the conclusion may be a touch otherworldly, perhaps they are not happy with the way the story unfolds gradually, reserving Felix’s confession until the finale, and the big reveal. What’s wrong with that?

Originally published Friday 3 June 2011.