With a touch of the supernatural, a tear-jerking plot, a loathsome villain, some adorable kids, and a lot of suspense making music, the film is agreeable enough to be a hit.
Nominated for five Oscars, this film is about secrets, obsession, collective and individual guilt, the indelibility of first love affairs, legality, morality, compassion, forgiveness, and the complexity of behavior.
On the whole David Hare has written a fascinating and engrossing script, and Director Stephen Daldry has given us a taut and emotional filmmaking achievement.
It's important to remember that politics demands nuance and good listening skills, that politicians are not saints (except I guess St. Sarah), that dealing with repressive Russia is not going to be uncomplicated.