The Unloved

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.

Watched this last night knowing it would stir up all the emotions you can imagine when dealing with the abuse of children and to be honest I was hoping it would be rubbish so I would have the excuse of stopping watching. Well it was powerful stuff, understated drama without being overly dramatic. You wanted to reach out and hug the girl, buy her clean clothes, give her so called carers an earful not for not caring but for not paying attention. If the system is in any part like this, and I'm sure it is, then those in the business should get a wake up call from watching this in learning what not to do. Samantha Morton can be proud of this work as a directorial debut and I am sure it was cathartic based on her childhood as she was in care until 16. Molly Windsor is excellent in the role as the child. Robert Carlyle's is quality as usual

Congratulations to first time director Samantha Morton and Channel 4 for showcasing this magically poignant portrait of a maltreated child suffering the indignities of Britain's under-resourced care system.

Star: Molly Windsor delivers a masterful evocation. The Unloved avoids the inherent pitfalls of such difficult subject matter.

Morton herself went through care, but this is no angry rant against her experiences, but an enlightening reconstruction of events exorcised through a perceptive and beguiling work of artistry.

Strong support from co-stars Robert Carlyle and Susan Lynch as Molly's estranged and troubled parents seeking personal redemption for the hurt caused and subsequent loss of their angelic daughter.

I can only hope this is not the only helmed piece Samantha Morton brings to this world, as she is indeed a talented voice in a world of increasingly entertainment driven indifference to the bigger issues which surround and impact upon us all. This cinematic picture should have been given a much deserved big-screen distribution.

Assured best new British drama since Red Ridding.

With this film, Samantha Morton has done better than most actors-turned-directors, as she displays an understanding not just of the ways in which films make meaning and are experienced by their audience, but also of human behaviour and the way life itself unfolds. While similar subject matter has certainly been covered before in British films, from Ken Loach to Lynne Ramsay (from whom Morton seems to have learned cinematic pacing and how to "show and not tell"), this film is still able to give a fresh experience, just like how many people share very similar lives on the surface, yet each one is unique.

Without giving anything away plot-wise, the scenes which stand out for excellent direction, acting and pacing are the opening one between the main character and her father, another later on between these same characters in a pub, an outdoor rave, and a fight that breaks out between a group of adults who are supposed to be the responsible ones (though the beauty of the way this scene is handled lies in the fact that we can't be sure some of them *aren't* being responsible by doing what they're doing!).

The last shot could have been one of the stronger endings I've seen in recent cinema, but the music that plays over it detracts from the power it could have had - instead of allowing viewers to have their own individual reactions to this image (and there's enough power and emotion inherent in the situation that it would be nearly impossible not to experience something during this shot), the music tells us what the emotions are, through both instrumentation and lyrics. This serves to detach the audience somewhat from what we're seeing, instead of sucking us in like most of the film has already succeeded so well in doing.

I can only hope Morton directs another film in the (near) future.