The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

(...) Hay un mérito atendible en la directora y es evitar caer en la sensiblería barata que el asunto arriesgaba.

The story is a gentle depiction of harsh times that works best as a coming-of-age parable, not so well as a historical drama.

Once again, Dakota Fanning demonstrates that, even as a teenager, she already has the acting skills and range equal to -- if not better than -- her A-list contemporaries.

Glossy yet ultimately shallow, this platitudinous, unconvincing drama makes The Colour Purple look like Mississippi Burning.

On most levels the film, which has a surprising number of unconvincing details, takes the sugary option; it shies away from the harsher realities whenever possible.

A dense story about a little girl and the impact her mother's death has on her makes terrific cinema in this beautifully realised film

The film has a dream-like quality above its punchy emotional core

The Secret Life of Bees features another buzz-worthy turn by Dakota Fanning.

The source material remains affecting and the cast work hard to add dimension to a lacklustre screenplay. But sadly, it adds up to less than the sum of its parts.

There’s a purity, clarity and honesty to this feminist heart-warmer’s melodramatic instincts that make it surprisingly moving and satisfying.