The Unloved

Lucy (Molly Windsor) is eleven years old living with her abusive father (Robert Carlyle). She is put into foster care and faces a chaotic unloving system. Her roommate is 16 year old Lauren (Lauren Socha). Lauren runs away taking the quiet Lucy with her. They get into trouble with the police and brought back to the home.

It's an impressive directorial debut from Samantha Morton. The tone is very haunting. The young girl is put to the great use by keeping her mostly silent. It permits the audience to inhabit her character. Lauren Socha is also quite effective as the teen delinquent character. The biggest drawback is the long running time. This movie could be even better distilled into a tighter pace. Morton seems to be indulging a little too much in long ambling scenes.

'The Unloved' is the result of actress Samantha Morton's first stab at directing, a story about growing up in a children's home, something she has experienced first hand. If she hadn't, you might wonder if it was exaggerated; if it isn't, it tells a grim and harrowing truth. Artistically, it's quite ambitious, eschewing emphasis on expository narrative in favour of giving a more impressionistic flavour of its central character's life - Morton appeared in Lynne Ramsey's film of 'Morvern Callar', and its tempting to assert one can detect the influence on her style. But there are also hints of Morton's inexperience behind the camera , in the way that her striking, set piece images are presented somewhat obviously, for example in the film's closing scene, where the entirety of a (sad) song is played over a wordless scene in advance of (rather than during) the credits: it's moving, but there's more to great film-making than the juxtapositioning of sad songs and pretty pictures. Still, on this evidence, Morton may get there: it will be interesting to see whether she is interested in directing on subjects less close to her own heart.

Almost the British Florida Project. Good music choices. I'm a fan of the extended closeup without dialogue, and Molly Windsor was able to convey so much with her eyes in many of those. Recommend.

Samantha Morton's passion for this story is evident in the purposeful construction of the film. At first you will wonder what in the world is happening, but as the film develops you will start to understand that the lingering cuts are drawing you into Lucy's world. Molly Windsor does an incredible job of portraying the innocent little observer who is thrust into a wildly different world when she is forced to move into a group home. Still sleeping with her teddy bear she has to room with Lauren, a rebellious teen who takes Lucy along with her shoplifting, partying, etc. The film is a bit sad and doesn't really offer any solution and so you are left feeling sorry for Lucy and hoping she will not succumb to the temptations around her and last probably until she ages out of the system. Hopefully what this film can do is bring awareness to problems in the social service system not only in the UK, but everywhere and perhaps kind hearted people will be stirred to help these children.

I know, because this was my childhood. I have never reviewed a movie on IMDb before, but this one touched me so deeply that I had to. Every actor in this is so phenomenally good that I never once felt like I was watching an actor. The editing, the direction, the soundtrack – all superb. Everything about this film is stunningly beautiful in a melancholy kind of way. It is the artful depiction of what I would like to believe of myself: that although my childhood circumstances were dire, my reflection of them and the character I've derived from them are beautiful. Thank you, sincerely, to everyone who brought this story to life.