Review of Little Boy (2015) by Mary B — 02 May 2015

I was disappointed with many of the 27 films I saw at Sundance this year, so Little Boy gave me renewed hope that there still will be an amazing crop of 2015 indie releases that weren't screened in Park City.

Young Jakob Salvati's quite uncanny performance as a child of the 1940s is thoroughly gripping, and this WWII-era original screenplay boldly addresses issues never considered by other films of this era.

The treatment of a relocated Japanese-American to town, and the tangled relationships that emerge, make us guiltily search our souls to try to uncover the dose of humanity exhibited by some towards this man, who unfortunately personifies the villains holding POWs abroad.

A sympathetic priest assigns Little Boy the corporal works of mercy, and then some, as a faith recipe to bring his father back from the Asian Theater. Little Boy takes this challenge much more deliberately than his spiritual guide, as well as those of us who have more rational minds. We nonetheless cheer for a long shot resolution, convincing as Little Boy's faith creeps up on us.

Little Boy's cinematography is a visual treat, and the tight editing takes you on a non-stop ride that keeps you engaged to the very satisfying end. And what creative twists and turns along the way! Magic, theology, an earthquake, family bonds and bounds, WWII, death, life, prejudice and friendship --- all in 90 minutes. What a wonderful alternative for families and teens than the standard Hollywood PG-13 fare of impermanent trivial liaisons. Hopefully, the Academy will give credit where it is most certainly due. Five well-earned stars for Little Boy!