I Swear

After her husband’s death, widow Barb sets out to fulfil his last request to have his ashes scattered in Lake Hilda in northern Minnesota. When Barb reaches the lake, she sees Leah, a young woman with her hands bound trying to escape from her abductor. ….

Director Brian Kirk gives Emma Thompson an inspired opportunity to play a completely different kind of role. You’ve never seen her like this, grungy in working overalls grappling over a rifle in the middle of a frozen lake. But all the craft and presence you’d expect from the two-time Oscar winner are on display, as always. She’s often alone on screen and much of the performance is wordless, but because she’s Emma Thompson, she always holds our attention with warmth and wisdom. Roger Ebert