“David Lean returns to the type of tortured romance he had explored in 1945’s Brief Encounter.”

“There’s a beating heart to the film, but it’s faint.”

“… a potboiler with spiritual principles, a crisis-of-faith drama full of courtroom intrigue.”

“… a stirring argument that the Black experience deserves a place in British history.”

“… never allows the cast to break out of the types established in the opening scene.”

“…a sad, if truthful, account of a quietly desperate existence.”

“…a story with a palpable familiarity among its characters, one that breeds both love and contempt.”

“You could do far worse when looking for a mobbed-up crime drama, but we’ve been spoiled by far better.”

“…attuned to natural forces, of both the exhilarating and dangerous variety.”

“When a master chef breaks a few eggs, even the messy yolk can be delectable.”