Dear Frankie Details

Single mum Emily Mortimer tries to protect her young deaf son from the truth about his abusive father in this poignant Scottish drama from first-time feature director Shona Auerbach. This simple story is rich with precise observation and it tugs at the heartstrings without being maudlin or manipulative. Jack McElhone is wonderfully natural as nine-year-old Frankie, who corresponds religiously with his absentee dad, unaware that it's his devoted mother who's picking up the letters and faking the replies. With its sincere and perceptive script, the beautifully shot film vividly captures the raw emotions of its complex characters. Mortimer is particularly appealing, exuding a mixture of dignity and vulnerability, while Gerard Butler has magnetic allure as the stranger she pays to temporarily masquerade as Frankie's father. Despite occasional flickers of a fairy-tale ending, Auerbach ultimately resists the temptation, maintaining the realism and integrity that give this thoughtful feature its bittersweet charm.

Frankie (Jack McElhone) is a young deaf boy who lives with his mum, Lizzie (Emily Mortimer), and grandma, Nell (Mary... read more on Time Out