The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Really enjoyed this movie. The young girl is wonderful. Good movie of a great true story.

"And what's your name? My name is Mr. Reception Desk. That's a nice name. ""Noble" is nothing more than a biographical film about the (for me anyway unknown) Irish Christina Noble (Deirdre O'Kane). After a troubled and difficult life she has set a noble (Yep) target. Namely to offer the street children of Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam a better future. Mostly you see Christina in Vietnam moving heaven and earth to achieve her goal. A not so obvious task in which she has to convince the authorities and at the same time she tries to jolt foreign businessmen's consciences, so they are generous enough with their financial support. And so she tries to set up a shelter for those children in postwar Vietnam.There's one thing you have to admit. This exceptional lady has sufficient reserves in terms of perseverance. Despite all the setbacks in her youth and the opposition she faces in Vietnam, she never gives up. And this thanks to her positive attitude. Throughout the film you're looking back at the turbulent life of Christina. It all starts in the slums of Dublin in the 40s. As a little girl (Gloria Cramer Curtis) she dreams of becoming such a famous singer like Doris Day. When her mother dies of tuberculosis and her father is unable to support his family (due to an alcohol problem), she ends up in a nunnery. In later life she's (Sarah Greene) a victim of a gang rape which in turn results in an unwanted pregnancy and her newborn son to be adopted. After moving to Birmingham with her best friend Joan (Ruth Negga), she is confronted with a cheating spouse and domestic violence. So you can safely say that Christina's life wasn't exactly rosy.Perhaps that's why Christina demonstrates these unconstrained efforts when she arrives (thanks to a vision) in Vietnam. She is shocked by the appalling conditions in which children have to survive there. Perhaps the traumas of her own life are an extra motivation and she wants to give these poor children what she had missed all her life. A bit of security, affection, love and a hope for a better future. For her, poverty in Vietnam is equal to that what she experienced in Ireland.Although the film lends itself to become a melodramatic tearjerker, they knew to avoid this anyway. Obviously Christina Noble isn't the only benefactress in this ruthless world. But her commitment and determination ensured that "The Christina Noble Children's Foundation" has already helped hundreds of thousands of children. Most likely this film will be broadcasted as an ordinary television drama. But the performances of the different Christina's are of an exceptionally high level. And despite the realistic and deadly serious story-line, they managed to incorporate a sliver of humor by means of a hilarious hotel receptionist. And in all honesty. This time it wasn't really bothering me that they used such a predictably happy ending once again.More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

This film is definitely worth seeing for a life story that is so incredible it seems like fiction.I had heard about Christina Noble at school, but I can see now that my teachers left out some of the horrors of her early life. She was clearly a very religious person and that comes across strongly in the film. However, the film also shows the darker sides of religious orders.All three actresses are absolutely superb.Emotionally, I think this is a hard film to watch not only because of the hardships the lead faces, but also the children in Vietnam. Having said that, I think it is also an important film for a lot of people. It is going to speak to people who grew up disadvantaged and people who experienced all kinds of traumas and hardships. It has a lot to say about how a victim can become powerful.Deirdre O'Kane has great presence as the older Christina.I definitely recommend this film. It touches on some shameful parts of Irish and world history, but it also has a lot to say about courage, perseverance and hope.

I had the pleasure of seeing a screening of Noble in London a few days ago and this film really blew me away. I had read Christina's book 'A Bridge Across my Sorrows' and I was excited to see how the book translated to film. Christina is played by three wonderful actresses at different stages in her life. Gloria Cramer Curtis who plays the younger Christina was a delight to watch. Sarah Greene who plays teenage Christina was incredible, and she really pulls you in with her terrific performance. Lastly, Deirdre O'Kane who plays the grown up Christina gives an outstanding performance that will make you laugh and cry. Supporting actors are also impressive including Ruth Negga, who provided many laughs from the audience, and the Vietnamese children were surprisingly good, especially the boy playing Lam.I liked the pacing of the film, although I feel the film could have benefited with a few more scenes of Christina's childhood. If you have read Christina's book, you will notice a lot of things are not shown in the film. I can understand why the filmmakers did this, as the flashbacks needed to relate to Christina's strength and key events in her childhood.The cinematography by Trevor Forrest was beautiful, and shot incredibly well. Another great thing about Noble is the score by Ben Foster and Giles Martin which is one of the best scores I have heard in a long time.I am thankful for director Stephen Bradley, his wife Deirdre O'Kane and the producers for getting this film made. It's an incredible story and a film people need to see.