Title – Child 44 (2015)
Director – Daniel Espinosa (Safe House)
Cast – Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, Gary Oldman, Joel Kinnaman, Paddy Considine, Jason Clarke, Vincent Cassel
Plot – Proud Russian war hero Leo Demidov (Hardy) finds himself and wife Raisa (Rapace) disgraced in the Stalin era and sent to work for General Mikhail Nesterov (Oldman) who along with Leo discovers a string of gruesome child murders that they must stop at all costs.
“There is no murder in paradise”
Review by Eddie on 29/09/2015
So many things on paper point to Child 44 being quite the film. The book on which this film is based on by Tom Rob Smith is a hugely popular and well liked novel, we’ve got a cast here which led by the ever impressive Tom Hardy looks like a sure fire winner, director Daniel Espinosa has shown promise before with his early films Easy Money and Safe House and the material at the heart of this tale could be both thrilling and emotionally resonate. Upon pondering these elements, it makes it even more frustrating that Child 44 is such a downright mediocre film.
I’m sure I’m not alone in saying openly that Child 44 was one of the films I was most looking forward to catching on cinema screens this year. The reuniting of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier ,Spy and Lawless co-stars Hardy and Gary Oldman, mixed with the white knuckle thrills of a serial killer whodunit in the colds of post war Russia, it seemed like a quality movie event but that fact that Child 44 never even screened on Australian cinema screens says all we need to know about how viewers felt about Espinosa’s hodgepodge production.
A large portion of Child 44’s failings must be placed at the feet of Espinosa who seems unsure of how to utilise his cast, while Hardy is commanding despite a somewhat overplayed Russian accent, the rest of the films main players seem utterly wasted with particular mention of a barely registering Gary Oldman and the complete waste of supports like Paddy Considine and the blink and you’ll miss it Jason Clarke. Espinosa clearly had trouble also with a narrative focus that shifts too often between the toils of Hardy’s Leo and his troubled wife Raisa (played by Noomi Rapace who once more frustrates in an English language production) and the almost side playing’s of brutal child murders that are engulfing the nations impoverished.
It’d be easy to go on at length about how Child 44 fails to capitalise on juicy plot lines and interesting characters traits and arcs, but put simply, Child 44 seems reluctant to back itself in as either a drama, a thriller or a mystery and while there are glimpses of the films possibilities, a messy delivery disallows audience interest beyond mild curiosity.
Easily one of 2015’s most disappointingly average movies, Child 44 had all the makings of something special but never becomes anything more than a slightly more polished TV movie that is elevated by the on screen presence of Hardy and a few stand-alone scenes that seem cut from a much better overall product.
2 homemade candy treats out of 5
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys) 
Hi guys – totally agree, such a disappointing adaptation, but I think Espinosa was saddled with a script that seemed like a first draft – there was no depth or feeling to it at all. I doubt if anyone would have been able to do anything with it. Great review though!
Glad your on the same page Dull. I read somewhere that the first cut of this films was more than 4 hours long so I reckon there was some lack of editing prowess as well, a real shame! there’s a good film somewhere in here.
E
I had such a hard time getting through the book I’m not sure I’ll give the movie a try. Unless Hardy takes his shirt off?
Haha can’t say there is a Hardy body shot here! Might have to re watch some Warrior, Dark Knight Rises or of course Bronson for that.
E
I think we had exactly the same reaction to this one. What a waste of so much potential.
So much wastage ha!
E
Reblogged this on Eclectic Pursuits.
Good review Eddie. Cast tries, but honestly, they’re left without much to work with.
Yeh man no one was going to make this movie any better sadly.
E
I am so glad that I didn’t see that one. Nice review.
Yeh not worth the time bud unless your the biggest Hardy fan going round!
E
I cannot wait for the movie. I just saw black mass the other night and saw a preview for this movie, I am defiantly gonna wanna see it!
Ah lucky – can’t wait to get to Black Mass. I am not going to say your in for a good film watching this but you do never know.
E
I got about half-way through before I realized this film was not worth anymore of my time and was not going to suddenly ‘get better’. There is nothing worse than a film that bores it’s audience when it has such interesting subject matter.
Yeh mate there was no reason that this film would be so far from thrilling. At first glance you just expect it to be a real enjoyable tale then it quickly becomes something so utterly boring.
E
Such a let down. And what a waste of a magnificent cast
It’s hard to fathom how such a cast can be wasted like this! Hardy is still quite solid but yeh the rest, forget about it.
E
I didn’t even read the synopsis before I watched it either. It was the cast alone who sold me. Hardy was solid at least but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him perform badly; but I haven’t seen every single thing he’s been in. He’s been consistent since Bronson anyway
Yeh his been on great form since then even though we can all forget This Means War ha.
I will always back it in that his turn in Warrior was Oscar worthy.
E
Absolutely man. I’m going to see Legend this week. I hear he’s outstanding in that
Hope it’s as good as it looks mate!
E
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