The Unloved

Samantha Morton looks back in anger at her own childhood in her semi-autobiographical directorial debut THE UNLOVED. The grown-up world has left Lucy's body covered in bruises. When taking a modest stand against her abusive father she is moved into foster care, where she befriends 16-year-old rebel Lauren. Soon Lauren is introducing Lucy to a world of drugs, violence and sex. Samantha Morton's directorial debut tackles the shattered reality of the modern family, structured in what you could describe as a montage of melancholy. Lonely characters find their way through an emotional wasteland in hypnotic tracking shots en par with xylophone melodies. The timeless subjectivity of the piece is strengthened by keeping the camera at Lucy's height - not only are we given thematic insight into Lucy's life, but we are spatially positioned to identify with her. Morton's background as an actress makes itself felt in her deft direction of the actors, who are given plenty of room animating the void of gray interiors with the hopes, dreams and tragedy of the unloved.