Review of Little Children (2006) by Kenneth L — 26 Jul 2010
Despite its rather long running time and fairly mundane subject matter, this movie did manage to hold my interest the entire time, so it must be pretty good. Like a slightly lighter American Beauty or a much darker Weeds, it's another entry in the subgenre of the Suburban Malaise Movie.
It basically tells two different stories, one about adultery and another about a child molestor released from prison, which don't really connect except superficially on a plot level, but I suppose have some themes in common.
Kate Winslet, who got an Oscar nomination, is very good, as usual. It's understandable why her character would want to have an affair, as her husband is a porn-addict. Patrick Wilson also does a very good job as the other half of the affair, a guy who seems nice enough but isn't especially bright or mature.
His reasons for the affair aren't as good: his wife, played by a very pretty Jennifer Connelly in a fine performance, is a bit cold, but not an especially bad person. Jackie Earle Haley, who also got an Oscar nomination, is quite good as the child molestor - heck, the poor guy just looks like a child molestor.
No wonder he's been getting typecast in creepy parts since he made this movie. Still, his child molestor, creepy though he is, does become sympathetic and pitiable by the end. There is some unnecessary and heavy-handed narration in here, probably a leftover from the novel the movie is adapted from.
The cinematography is pretty nice. Todd Field's direction is good - I especially liked the way he filmed three moms all sitting together in a row all the time, making them seem like some suburban Cerberus - but based on this and his other film, In the Bedroom, I have no earthly idea why he was chosen to write and direct the upcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel Blood Meridian.
Blood Meridian could not be further away from this movie in terms of its subject matter. Hopefully it will turn out well, but at the moment, Field seems like a strange choice to me. But still, even if Blood Meridian doesn't work out, Field can always go back to making solid domestic dramas like this one.
This review of Little Children (2006) was written by Kenneth L on 26 Jul 2010.
Little Children has generally received very positive reviews.
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