At first glance "cracks" appears to be a not to well constructed drama about boarding school life for girls in the 1930's, show casing exactly what you would expect from such a drama, the cliques the language, the strict teaching codes and the unruly (for the time) girls.

Although at this point the story isn't all that interesting it is worth noting that the Acting from Mrs G (Eva Green) and Di (Juno Temple) is excellent.

As the film progresses and Fiamma (María Valverde) is introduced things actually take a turn for the better. Observing the Cliques reaction to the foreign intruder, a notably pretty, well dressed and talented intruder, is extremely entertaining.

The switching of loyalties and the revelations of flaws with in the perfect "miss G" begin to captivate the audience and eventually i will admit I was quite involved in the story.

This film is definitely worth a watch if you have a free afternoon to indulge the more slow paced side of cinema.

7/10

A carefully made, intelligent, powerful film that makes you wonder, among other things, why director Jordan Scott (the daughter of Ridley) has not had the opportunity to make anything else since 2009. It is a film that demands your attention: just when you think you may know where it is heading, it turns the other way. At first, it appears to be the story of a non-conformist teacher inspiring her devoted students; then, it seems to be about the jealously of the teacher's favorite student when she feels she's in danger of being overshadowed by a new arrival; then it looks like the teacher admires the new arrival because she has so much in common with her; and finally, it turns into something else, something darker, leading to a tragedy that has a real impact on the viewer. Exceptional performances, appropriate musical scoring and beautiful photography add to the experience. *** out of 4.