The picture above shows Emily Watson playing Margaret Humphreys in “Oranges and Sunshine.” The movie is based on the actual events in the 1980s. (Photo Courtesy of ‘Oranges and Sunshine’)

In the British drama “Oranges and Sunshine,” the always spot-on Emily Watson plays Margaret Humphreys, a social worker who has taken it upon herself to tackle the U.K. government after unearthing a scandal that involved the mass deportation of over 130,000 kids away from their families.

The film’s story, which takes place in the 1980s is a true tale about how a low ranking social worker can make a world of difference.

Margaret’s journey starts when she meets Jack, a British orphan who was shipped off to Australia as a young child and forced to do what essentially could be defined as slave labor.

Played by Hugo Weaver, Jack acts as a spark, igniting Margaret to do a little research. With just a hint of effort, Margaret gains a sense of obligation to right the wrongs that left over a hundred thousand children without families to call their own.

Of course, like any public figure hoping to take down the government on their own accord, Margaret runs into a slew of roadblocks and red tape that deter her on her original mission.

Initially, Margaret is approached by Jack’s sister Nicky played by Lorraine Ashbourne. The two women venture to Australia hoping to unearth more people like Loarinne’s brother who have always questioned their belonging in Australia.

Upon Jack’s discovery, the movie is set in a somewhat slow pace that takes Margaret around Australia finding more victims to the British government’s crimes.

Much needs to be said about Watson’s turn as Margaret. Watson, who is an evergreen on screen, is at the peak of her acting abilities. She is down right amazing in her role as the determined social worker.

Watson rarely shies away from the role’s grittiness. It is as if the dedicated actor took every single scene and syllable and spoke it through the voices of the 130,000 misplaced orphans.

Watson portrays the real life Humphrey perfectly. Humphrey’s book, “Empty Cradles” was the back bone of the screenplay.

While the film is sometimes slow, Watson slow burns her way through the 105-minute movie.

Ignited by either the true story or Humphrey’s bravery, Watson is never short of amazing. If this film was eligible for the Academy Awards come March, the British actress could have definitely seen her name on the ballot.

The movie’s title comes from the actual event itself.

When the children were stripped of their families and sent to Australia to work in brutal conditions, the British government told the children that what was waiting for them in Australia was “oranges and sunshine.”

The actual result was far from it.

Perhaps one big mistep of “Oranges and Sunshine” is its title. Even though the origin is understood and appreciated, the title leads one to believe that “Oranges and Sunshine” is just another quirky British film here to make American films seem boring.

On the contrary, “Oranges and Sunshine” is far from sunny at all.

Considering that the film is marketed as a drama, it makes sense that the content is heavy and the direction follows suit.

However, many films of this nature sometime slip in a downward spiral that makes the film too much to watch.

While “Oranges and Sunshine” sometimes flirts with the idea of being too heavy, the film manages to regain it lightness when needed while still managing to remain serious.

Watson is downright the star of this movie, however the actress is anchored by a stellar supporting cast as well.

The best performance comes from Hugo Weaver’s Jack.

As Jack, Hugo managed to remain a sense of being lost even though he is reunited with his sister.

In a sense, Jack’s role is a representation of all the victims that were misplaced by the atrocious event.

Much admiration should be paid to the rest of the cast compiled by “Oranges and Sunshine.”

David Wenham as Len and Tara Morice as Pauline were credible in their roles in “Oranges and Sunshine.”

The film’s director Jim Loach is son to another legendary director, Ken Loach.

Loach, who comes from the realms of television, transitions well to the big screen.

It seems as if Loach’s strategy was to play it safe and let the performances take the wheel.

Loach was humble in his cinematic reach, but through that humility, he was able to frame his cast in a beautiful light and allow for the compelling stories and out-of-this-world acting.

Helping Loach out in his directing debut is the film’s screenwriter Rona Munro. Munro was able to take the slate of Humphrey’s book and turn into a complete drama that searches through the trenches of human action and brings to light an issue that many American audiences have probably never even heard of.

With a cast that is worthy of praise and a leading lady that steals the show, “Oranges and Sunshine” is one of the best things to come out of Britain since fish and chips.

While the movie may be dark and downtrodden in some ways, the end result is worth the journey.

“Oranges and Sunshine” is the type of movie that takes its viewers through emotional warfare hoping that the audience will trust it to deliver justice in the end.

And when you have a character as dynamic as Margaret Humphrey, a satisfying ending is something that is almost always guaranteed.

“Oranges and Sunshine” is currently playing at the Angelika in Mockingbird Station.