This U.S. gal is usually unable to stick with a flick in which most of the actors are so heavily accented that I can't clearly hear their dialog. While some of the spoken words were lost on me, many scenes lingered on way too long, and the story was almost too slow for me to finish, I did in fact finish. This was only because I was totally mesmerized by the performance of Molly Windsor as the lead character. She's now on my watch list!Also, whoever controlled the lighting that was always on this girl's face did a stellar job! Every shot of Lucy was so beautiful and soft to look at, like looking at fine art. Very impressed with this young girl!Picked it up via Netflix, taken in by the title and the image of the young girl on the cover.

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.

I'm surprised to see so few reviews of this marvel. I also don't think this is a sad movie, unless you had a perfect childhood. Instead, it is reassuring and inspirational to find out that some have suffered more than us, and can put our imperfect pasts into perspective. The world is shown as seen solely through the eyes of the 11-year-old Lucy, who is almost merely an observer of her own life, with little dialogue and action in most parts; the script, the acting and the direction are as uncomplicated as they are powerful. Special mention should go to the lead actress: it is impossible to take your emotional eyes off Lucy at any time, and not to feel both the pains she suffers and the little joys she encounters; the longing for affection she endures and the masses of affection she radiates at the same time. The calm, humanity, love and care of Lucy's character are not diminished but instead reinforced by everything she goes through, and to that end she emerges triumphant from the film... and from life itself. The necessary consequence of all this is that the screen writer-director deserves the highest level of admiration, for both her life and for the direction of this piece, and also a massive thanks for sharing a lot of herself in this powerful drama.

This was so well-directed and acted that it seemed at times like a documentary. Avoiding any clichés and easy answers it was moving and compelling. Clearly Samantha Morton is going to be as great a director as she is an actress. The expressionistic filming style and the long static shots reminded me a bit of Lynne Ramsay's work, which is a compliment in itself! I wish it had been shown in cinemas, as it would have won many awards in my opinion. All the actors were great, as i said above so naturalistic that it seemed at times like watching a documentary. Great performances in particular from the little girl Lucy, and the troubled Lauren that she met whilst in the care home. Highly recommended.