The Child in Time

[RhiannonOHara]

On on Sunday night. Anyone interested?

I haven't read the book but I do like a bit of Cumberbatch.

Read the book years ago and loved it. I thought they adapted it really well given how complex the ideas are. Love transcending time; that's comforting in a way.

I think the trailer totally misrepresented it.

I thought the boy on the tube was Charles.

I loved BC in it. Thought he was really good. Found it terribly sad and rather touching. The government stuff though? All that could have been cut, it was pointless. I haven't read the book, only read three Ian McEwan's, as I think he is terrible at writing women, he seems baffled by them, they are always so one dimensional and unbelievable, but I might read this now.

It's not pointless in the book, though. It's set in a dystopian near-future and the government part is very important.

For me, it was worth it to see Benedict Cumberbatch. I thought he was brilliant. There's always going to be a problem, though, when you cram a literary novel into 90 minutes of screen time.

I thought Charles was the personification of Stephen's retreat to childhood and ultimate breakdown , as part of the recovery process. Likewise her moving to the cottage represented her emotional distance in their relationship. The ending felt somewhat predictable, especially with the appearance of the young boy.

Bearing in mind it was written several decades ago the near future is now pretty much contemporary , I assume references to internet trolling etc were additions, yet the primary school seems rather 70s/80s. All felt somewhat disjointed though. Not sure I've been inspired to read the book.

I found it profoundly moving as well and I will be getting the book.

I'm fascinated by the time travel/time slips theme also.

I wept at the end.

I really liked when they said 'she's a sister' at the end and the idea she was always with them, in some way

Hmm... reading the thread and deciding whether to watch it on catch-up. Love Cumberbatch but definitely not a McEwan fan.

OMG - I watched it too thinking there was another part next week!!

I thought it was a series. I told DH it was on again next week
So no resolvment
But, so it is in so many missing persons cases, sadly.
Unbearable pain for loved ones left behind.

I loved 'On Chesil Beach', but I was the only one in my book club of 10 who did.

I will be going to see it.

Early in David Cameron's leadership there was a picture of him strap-hanging in an empty tube carriage reading On Chesil Beach. I always wondered if it was his choice or whether one of his minions just happened to have it in her bag.

That wasn't me, honest! eddiemairswife

Can I add I don't like McEwen as a person, so I totally understand the hate for him. obviously conflicted

Wasn't really sure what to make of it last night but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all day.

I think I get it now. It's not about a child's disappearance. Not a particular child, at least. It's about all children, and the fact that they all disappear sooner or later, one way or another. Childhood is a transient and priceless commodity that is eventually lost to all of us so we should fucking lap it up in whatever form we can. Remember and celebrate the child that we all once were, the child that we once had or the child we one day will have.

And never let anyone try to tell us what childhood "should" be.

I want to watch it again now...

So Badger basically it was a pretentious load of old wank?

I thought so too at the time. That didn't stop it being on my mind all day, though. So I guess it was still effective!

I don't think that's pretentious! I'm glad authors are tackling that sort of theme.

Me too. If that is what I was expecting based on the trailer! The trailer made it look like a thriller!!

The book has to be better, surely

Don't bank on it! Atonement is the only case imo where the film is better than the book!

I loved it. I cried. Mr Cucumberpatch was fantastic.

Why did his mate kill himself, was he mentally ill? What did that storyline have to do with the rest of the drama, seemed a bit dis jointed.

I loved the boy in the red tee shirt on the tube

The boy on the tube/at the hospital/at the cottage was their future son.

I was very disappointed with it overall...I thought that she in particular just got over it all too quickly. Very unbelievable. But there were a few bits that touched me.