child abuse

• Argent de Poche, L' [Small Change] directed by François Truffaut (1976)

  [7/10]

  "François Truffaut returns to filming a classroom full of children with the theme that children exist in a state of grace -- they pass untouched through dangers that would destroy an adult."

• Matilda by Roald Dahl (1998)

  [7/10]

  "Unlike many stories that show that anyone can have karmic success, Dahl makes Matilda inordinately smart, thus she succeeds as a result of her natural gifts, not just as a result of persistence or good deeds."

• Night Listener, The directed by Patrick Stettner (2006)

  [5/10]

  "The Night Listener doesn't necessarily keep you glued to the edge of your seat, but it does have enough mystery and intrigue to carry the story at a reasonably pace comfortably to the end."

• Riptide by Marion Smith (1999)

  [4/10]

  "Smith creates vivid scenes filled with emotional power, but her scenes repeat the same character and plot development without moving into new territory. You can also see Smith's agenda driving the characters' dialog into contrived paths that never get around to answering the real question: What should we do with a heightened awareness of abuse?"

  Average score: 5.75