Custody - Bambini contesi

On the one hand, it is good to see Lifetime showcasing more quality material. Several years ago, a movie such as "Custody" would have been a rarity on Lifetime. On the other hand, this movie tried to do too much in an hour and three-quarters. There wasn't enough time to deal with the personal issues, so the legal issues got skimmed over lightly. Reviewer Da Rude makes some good points (although rather incoherent, unfortunately). The United States film industry is so fragmented right now. Too many people making ill-considered decisions that affect the quality of the final product. If "Custody" was conceived as the multi-part project which it should have been, the various themes and story lines could have been given the treatment they should have had. As it is, they weren't. Reviewer Da Rude, a resident of London, seems to have problems with US movies. Too bad, but he's right about this: The US film industry is going through a lot of turmoil right now. It has happened before, and the results have always been stronger output in the end. As far as "Custody" is concerned, Lifetime needs to be encouraged to press forward with the quality material, most particularly with quality actors such as Viola Davis. Having first-rate actors such as Ellen Burstyn, Patricia Kalember and Tony Shalhoub doing smaller roles needs to be seen in a positive light for TV movies. (The broadcast networks gave up on them years ago; reality shows and a LOT of American football have, sadly, pushed them aside.) "Custody" must be evaluated for the good direction it is taking. We need more such efforts.

Let me first get my angst out of the way. I'm referring to the useless review contributed by "Da Rude". It should read "Duh Rude". Unfortunately, I had to read the review three times to try to comprehend what the point was. To no avail. You sound like you have a problem with U.S. Made motion pictures, the Academy, and simply enjoy griping. Do you have a personal agenda against someone involved in the making of this film??

Sorry, I had to get that off my chest. As the other people contributing reviews of this film have essentially rated this an average "9", thus far, I agree. I've not to date, seen a performance less then excellent by Viola Davis and this film is no different. She just has a way of bringing real emotion to the screen as well as delivering a performance that gets you right in the chest. Her Co Stars do a terrific job as well and I felt the story was moving and thought provoking. It is no easy task telling a story about the legal separation of a child/children from a parent/parents. It is, obviously, a very tough subject to tackle and one which many people take a divisive stance on.

IMO, illustrating the dramatic course one navigates from the perspective's of a single Mother, Judge and all the people involved in doing a job aimed at protecting the welfare of children is not an easy one. Custody" does so with realism, empathy, and humanity.

This is not a feel good movie. It is not intended to be. It is, however, very much so worth watching and I believe most will get a glimpse into the tough process this film tackles, and will walk away happy they did.

I must say that I was more than pleasantly surprised by the production quality of this film, together with a compelling story line superbly acted. I even enjoyed the soundtrack, which emphasized emotion at just the right time.

With names like Viola Davis, Hayden Panettiere, Ellen Burstyn and Tony Shalhoub, I was wondering why I missed it at the theaters. However, it was premiered by Lifetime and was never released theatrically (although it certainly should have been).

Catalina Sandino Moreno turns in an excellent performance as the mother of two children facing a dilemma, the outcome of which is uncertain, causing pain nearly impossible to endure. The children and their friends all contributed very believable performances along with the rest of the cast. There was not one moment in this movie where I sensed a fake, forced or unbelievable character.

Although the plot is multi-faceted and highlights the lives of a number of the characters, it remains interesting and compelling throughout. It is a film with a great deal of character, feeling and emotion. In the end you will feel glad that you watched this movie. I am pretty harsh when it comes to TV movies, yet this is a rare exception that deserved to have a much wider audience. 9 of 10 stars!

I guess people don't read the information given here about films, but this was not a Lifetime movie. It was shown on Lifetime, to be sure, but it was edited to fit in their time frame. The movie is 1 hour and 44 minutes long. Lifetime condenses movies to under 90 minutes to fit in all their commercials. So we who saw it on Lifetime did not see the complete movie. Also, the movie was made in Spain, which should have made it obvious it was not a Lifetime production.

Anyway, aside from the reviews from people who didn't understand the origins of this movie, I have to agree with most of the reviews of the movie itself. The acting was good, even if Catalina Moreno was a bit over the top sometimes. The story line was good, too, showing how family courts are often overworked and understaffed, leading to all people being treated the same, regardless of their circumstances.

My only complaint is that I wish I could see the entire movie, instead of the edited one shown on Lifetime.

Director and writer James Lapine did a decent job with this screenplay. Sure this story has been done many times over, but having the wonderful and impactful Viola Davis in this film gave it that extra little boost it needed. Although the slow pacing could not be saved by Viola, the story in its entirety was pretty good. Would I see it again? No. Would I recommend it? Sure, if I know someone likes this type of film. It's a 7/10 from me.