Reviewed by Bruce Cantwell Before I began to mentally assemble a list of top flight directors and writers who were consistently good at telling stories, I would experience a moment of joy when something in an opening sequence would clue me in that I was in capable hands and could relax and enjoy the story. David Mamet no longer needs to prove himself to me, nor does Terence Rattigan but The Winslow Boy contains just such a moment. Arthur Winslow (Nigel Hawthorne) has just finished speaking with his daughter Catherine's fiancé Aden Gillette (John Watherstone). He amicably consents to their marriage, notices that a messenger has left the back gate banging open in the rain, and ushers his wife out of the room to prepare a toast and give the happy couple their privacy. Of course, the garden gate left open, one minuscule thing out of order in an otherwise ship shape household can be nothing short of the harbinger of events that will change everyone's lives forever. The gate was not left open by a hasty messenger but by Arthur's disgraced son Ronnie (Guy Edwards), expelled from the naval academy for stealing a postal order and too ashamed to face his father. In the midst of a summer full of high concept films, it's nice to be reminded that plot points are far more interesting as catalysts than as special effects promised in previews. Arthur speaks to his son. "If you did it, you must tell me. I shan't be angry with you, Ronnie, provided you tell me the truth. But if you tell me a lie, I shall know it because a lie between you and me cannot be hidden. I shall know it Ronnie. So remember that before you speak. Did you steal this postal order?" Nigel Hawthorne's understated performance during his heart to heart is the mortar that makes all of the actions that follow stand solid. Because Arthur knows that his son has not lied to him, a mark against his son's name is a mark against his own. He must do everything in his power to see that this wrong is righted. Since he's up against the British Admiralty, he knows that it's not going to be a cakewalk. The considerable expense involved in hiring the nation's top lawyer Robert Morton will risk the family's wealth. Challenging the military will risk Catherine's engagement. The notion of a teenager's honor tying up the docket of heads of state will make the family the butt of newspaper cartoons and cocktail party scuttlebutt. The film is observant enough to see the events through Catherine's (Rebecca Pidgeon's) eyes. She understands the need to fight for seemingly lost causes as she, herself is a suffragette. Ronnie's mother Grace (Gemma Jones) must support her husband while trying her best to protect the family that her husband's actions are hurting. The film is also smart enough not to let us see the events through Sir Robert Morton's (Jeremy Northam's) eyes. His close-to-the-vest reserve keeps us guessing until the end what he actually thinks of the brief he's taken on.

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