This movie features what might be the funniest wartime sequence I’ve ever encountered—the fish! The story revolves around young "Bill" (Sebastian Rice-Edwards), who along with his mother, "Grace" (Sarah Miles), and older sister, "Susie" (Geraldine Muir), finds himself in London as World War II begins. His father (David Hayman) is quickly deployed to fight, but his mother refuses to separate from her children, so they remain and navigate the bombs, chaos, death, and devastation—all while, through the eyes of this brave and spirited child, we witness opportunities for mischief and happiness. This becomes clear when the school of their rather strict/Dickensian headmaster (Gerald James) is destroyed. As Bill and his sister grow older, adolescent feelings begin to surface, and watching her experience forbidden romance—or perhaps it’s true love?—and his resulting confusion—along with a few little lies—is quite entertaining. They then go to stay with their grandfather, "George" (Ian Bannen, who steals every scene), who maintains a large house and, despite appearing stern, proves to be a wonderful comfort for his family and the audience alike. The film doesn't shy away from the horrors of war but presents them in an accessible way by using the children’s innocence to show that even amidst destruction there can be fun found in their secret places, reminiscent of an Enid Blyton adventure. Miles delivers a solid performance as the mother struggling to raise her kids amid all this turmoil while also trying to maintain family unity through occasional visits from her husband. The film is genuinely humorous at times—you’ll understand what I mean about divine intervention and those fish—but he's also part of a group that awards points based on which swear words you know, with the "f" word being the ultimate distress signal. Rice-Edwards’ performance has similarities to Christian Bale’s in “Empire of the Sun,” both films made in 1987 and depicting war through a child’s eyes. This is the type of film Britain excels at—the stoicism, certainly, but also portraying resilience, humor, and an underlying strength of character (which isn't always apparent). John Boorman directs and writes with skill and compassion as the story unfolds. If possible, see it on the big screen; the cinematography effectively conveys both the destruction and the peaceful countryside with equal subtlety, and I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

Source on TMDB