• Home
  • About The Swirl World
  • Meet The Contributors
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Privacy Policy

The Swirl World

Celebrating and Elevating Black Women - mind, body, soul and spirit!


Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Joyll’s Movie Review: Child 44 (2015)

May 23, 2015 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

child-44

You know, I couldn’t quite figure out WHY Child 44 was getting panned by other critics but exalted by everyday viewers. Honestly, upon screening the film, I still am not 100% certain, BUT I have some idea.

First let’s talk about what works (and indeed there is A LOT of that to be had) so let’s get to it shall we?

#WhatWorks:

Initially, I need to disclose something. I hadn’t read the book yet but upon hearing that Tom Hardy would star as Leo, there wasn’t any question that I would be seeing the film regardless of what I had to do in order to view it.

The theatre closest to us literally is ONLY showing Child 44 ONCE per day! As you can imagine that might make things a bit difficult, BUT, it does tend to create larger crowds mostly due to curiosity.

Leo is a Ukrainian orphan whose family was both killed in the siege that Russians had laid upon Ukraine called Holodomor. This was the genocide of the Ukrainian people by the USSR Russian government. They were literally STARVED to death and starved into submission.

As one can imagine, this experience had to weigh extremely heavy on a boy; that basically the only family he had DIED an extremely painful death from starvation rather than resort to cannibalism or other things.

Leo is taken in by a sympathetic Captain in the Russian army whom not only raises him, but indoctrinated him heavily into the machine that is Soviet Russia in the period between World Wars I and II.

Tom Hardy is absolutely SUBLIME in this film among so many others. He’s clearly read not only the script, but conducted much research on the genocide of these people. You can also tell he’s researched extensively into what his character’s language and mannerism would need to be in order to be convincing, and he does indeed do just that.

Throughout the film, there are quite a few times where you find yourself in a state of sadness because you’re watching him on-screen. You see the sadness behind his own eyes as he struggles to come to terms with what he has realised is truly going on in Stalin’s Russia. People are being hunted so much so that they are denouncing others left and right, whom haven’t ACTUALLY done anything, but simply expressed an opinion different from the doctrine of the Stalingrad Machine. FYI, Hardy’s Ukrainian accent is fantastic, I applaud his dialogue coach!!!

Raisa (played brilliantly by Noomi Rapace) and her connection to Leo, is solidified very early in the film, in fact only moments after the opening scene. Here at this table, is a dinner of SO many key players in this film and you feel that from the beginning. There is tension between Raisa and Leo yes, but there is also LOVE. These two are absolutely inter-connected “till death do us part” and that plays out so beautifully as the film progresses that when you get to the end of the film, you truly believe you haven’t wasted any energy pulling for and supporting them throughout! There are moments of regret, yes, but they are a minutia in comparison to the level of love and support that they give each other.

Excellent villains in Joel Kinnamon and Vincent Cassle, and then of course you have the Big Bad Wolf, whose name I won’t reveal for reasons you will no doubt notice when you screen the film. There is a well-played rivalry between Vasili (Kinnamon) and Leo and I have to admit I didn’t expect Kinnamon to be able to handle that as well as he did.

Brilliant addition of Gary Oldman whom is also a mentor to Tom Hardy and a key part of Leo’s ability to do what he knows in his heart is the right thing. Oldman provides a season talent and a leveling of the film which has many twists and turns and so many peaks and valleys you think you’re on a roller coaster. And that brings me to what does NOT work in this film.

#WhatDoesNOTWork

There’s far too many stories being told in this film at once!

If you’re like me and you attempted to count and STOPPED because your other hand was busy well…Anyway, the thing is, I almost feel like here should have been three films, a true trilogy indeed because there are at least 5 stories that are being told and they feel INCOMPLETE. And you want more.

You want a prequel to Leo being found and raised.

You want the story of how Leo and Raisa met and how over the years they have dealt with the very difficult times in their marriage, mostly but not always because of what he does for a living.

You want the story of why Leo and Vasili are at such odds (mind you, in a sense you know partly why but there’s not enough there to justify….).

You want the story of HOW Stalin’s government was able to keep the murders of 45 children quiet for SO long, and why only ONE man chose to no longer accept the status quo and do what could potentially see him and his beloved wife murdered by firing squad.

There’s SO MUCH more to this outstanding film that as much as it gives, as much as it does, it’s still lacking of effort. Nothing ever beats a failure but a try. And while Child 44 is definitely NOT a failure and an absolute #MUSTSEE, it’s something I wish had tried a bit harder, even with the potential failure ahead.

Courage in film is what drives so many filmmakers to take chances and do things that no one else can imagine them being able to do.

#SheCritiquesIt #WhatWorksWhatDoesNot

 

Joyll CambridgeOur Resident Movie Reviewer Joyll Cambridge hails from Manchester, United Kingdom and currently lives in New York, New York. She loves all things movies, fitness and swirling. To read Joyll’s personal blog at The Humanist Exec, click here.

 

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio. You can also hear us on PlayerFM!

Copyright ©2015 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photo of Joyll Cambridge used with permission. Movie poster of Child 44 obtained here. All rights reserved.

 

 

Be Sociable! Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Tweet
Pin
Share
0 Shares

Filed Under: Movie Reviews, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: Child 44, Gary Oldham, Joyll Cambridge, movie review, Noomi Rapace, Tom Hardy

About Michelle Matthews-Calloway

I'm a native Louisianan currently living in Dallas, TX. I have a B.S. degree in marketing, an MBA and a PhD in higher education administration. I love writing and research, and also thoroughly enjoy reading and working out.

I am passionate about cultural/ethnic diversity and interracial relationships; so much so that my dissertation focused on these concepts. I'm a widow, and I started dating interracially a few years after my husband passed away. In addition to blogging about interracial relationships and social issues, we also provide a podcast available on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud and Stitcher.

You can also find me on Twitter or Instagram @ASwirlGirl.

Do you love vintage photos and history with your pop culture? Them come and join me and Podcast Co-Host Adrienne London Leach on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheSwirlWorld. If you love our military, come and show our warriors some love at Facebook.com/Military Swirl.

In The Swirl World we celebrate and elevate Black Women - mind, body, soul and spirit!™

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Show more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

The Swirl World Mug
The Swirl World Mug
by TheSwirlWorld

Join The Swirl Nation and Receive Updates Via Email!

Are You In?

Provide your email address if you'd like to hear from us from time to time. We promise we won't spam you!

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Looking for something? Search here!

Welcome!

I’m Michelle Matthews-Calloway, and I’m A Swirl Girl! Greetings to you from The Swirl World. We encourage Black women to expand their relationship options by dating and marrying interracially. Our overarching mission is to see Black Women live their best life. Come Swirl with us in The Swirl World™, where we celebrate Black women and the diverse men who love us!™

Join The Swirl World on Facebook

Join The Swirl World on Facebook

Listen to the Podcast on Sound Cloud

Join A Swirl Girl On Instagram

Instagram

Connect With Michelle On LinkedIn

View Michelle Matthews Calloway's profile on LinkedIn

Check Out Interracial Match!

InterracialMatch.com - the best interracial dating site!
InterracialMatch.com - the best interracial dating site!
The Swirl World Logo Flow Tee
The Swirl World Logo Flow Tee
by TheSwirlWorld
The Swirl World Logo Sticker
The Swirl World Logo Sticker
by TheSwirlWorld

Podcasts We Love

  • #SmartBrownVoices
  • Back2Us Radio Network
  • Behind The Brilliance
  • Black Girl Nerds
  • Design The Life You Want
  • Her Power Hustle
  • Interracial Jawn
  • Just Thinkin' Out Loud Media
  • Live By Design Inspiration Radio
  • Nerdy Black Chicks
  • The Freedom Biz
  • The Productive Woman
  • This Week In Blackness

Blogroll

  • 500and50
  • A Black Girl's Guide to Weight Loss
  • African American 101
  • Afrobella
  • Alaia Williams
  • Alphanista
  • Awesomely Luvvie
  • Baggage Reclaim
  • Beyond Black & White
  • Black Female Interracial Marriage
  • Black Girl Nerds
  • Black Girls Blogging
  • Black Women Deserve Better™
  • Black Women with Other Brothers
  • Black Women’s Interracial Relationship Circle
  • Bougie Black Girl
  • Chonilla
  • Courtney Herring
  • Elle Veg- All Things Vegetarian
  • For Harriet
  • Happy Black Woman
  • Interracial Dating Coach
  • Joyce L. Rodgers
  • Just Ask Kaye
  • Kaywanda Lamb
  • Littlefoot's Journey
  • LorMarie's Place
  • Married Girl in a Weird World
  • Mom's 'N Charge
  • MONETIZE THYSELF with Nicole Walters
  • Neecy's Nest
  • Oneika the Traveller
  • Petals
  • Socialite Dreams
  • Surviving Dating
  • Talk To Amber
  • The New Elegant Black Woman
  • The Social Graces & Savoir Faire Institute of Etiquette
  • The Sojourner’s Passport
  • The Style and Beauty Doctor
  • The Trendy Socialite
  • The Working Home Keeper
  • The World of Miss Glamtastic
  • Tia Delano
  • Water Cooler Convos

Copyright Terms:

All rights reserved. All work is the copyright of the respective owner, otherwise copyright ©2015 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, all rights reserved, Dallas, TX, USA.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Archives

  • October 2018 (1)
  • August 2018 (1)
  • May 2018 (1)
  • March 2018 (1)
  • February 2018 (1)
  • January 2018 (2)
  • December 2017 (1)
  • November 2017 (1)
  • October 2017 (1)
  • August 2017 (2)
  • July 2017 (2)
  • June 2017 (2)
  • May 2017 (2)
  • April 2017 (2)
  • March 2017 (1)
  • February 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (2)
  • December 2016 (14)
  • November 2016 (3)
  • October 2016 (2)
  • September 2016 (1)
  • August 2016 (4)
  • July 2016 (9)
  • June 2016 (9)
  • May 2016 (11)
  • April 2016 (5)
  • March 2016 (11)
  • February 2016 (13)
  • January 2016 (7)
  • December 2015 (34)
  • November 2015 (32)
  • October 2015 (35)
  • September 2015 (34)
  • August 2015 (34)
  • July 2015 (32)
  • June 2015 (38)
  • May 2015 (40)
  • April 2015 (37)
  • March 2015 (37)
  • February 2015 (33)
  • January 2015 (37)
  • December 2014 (18)
  • November 2014 (7)
  • October 2014 (5)
  • September 2014 (8)
  • August 2014 (7)
  • July 2014 (12)
  • June 2014 (9)
  • May 2014 (3)
  • April 2014 (4)
  • March 2014 (8)
  • February 2014 (5)
  • January 2014 (7)
  • December 2013 (8)
  • November 2013 (2)
  • October 2013 (2)
  • September 2013 (4)
  • August 2013 (6)
  • July 2013 (30)
  • June 2013 (4)
  • May 2013 (5)
  • April 2013 (29)
  • March 2013 (5)
  • February 2013 (5)
  • January 2013 (31)
  • December 2012 (4)
  • November 2012 (29)
  • October 2012 (2)
  • August 2012 (1)
  • July 2012 (1)
  • June 2012 (3)
  • May 2012 (1)
  • April 2012 (1)
  • May 2011 (4)
  • April 2011 (5)
  • March 2011 (4)
  • February 2011 (4)
  • January 2011 (4)

Copyright © 2025 · The Swirl World™ LLC. All Rights Reserved. · Log in

%d