Review of Little Children (2006) by Pasha A — 01 Sep 2010

It's really unusual to watch film of these days with such an originality and intensity, despite its aparently very simple plot. In my opinion, the direction made this film so great, every scene is amazing, all the main characters are common people in common situations, doing common things (bad and good), and everything is so natural and perfectly put together, that's really hard to describe with words.

The narration was placed perfectly in the scenes where it was needed, and this movie, along with its characters and of course the performances are constaly in an evolution process; the film starts maybe in some way as a romantic comedy, but that didn't last very much, it contained powerful dramatic and sexy moments, and the most important thing: it never lost its spirit.

Special mention for Phyllis Somerville and Jackie Earle Haley, who played the two most complex, lonely and difficult characters of this movie, both superb performances. Winslet did a great job, though not his best performance of the decade, Patrick Wilson was good too and Connely with very few scenes, in only one without speaking anything at all, she conviced me and her job was well done too.

It's an admirable film in every way, perhaps in some ways, more complex than American Beauty (maybe a film similar to this one in some aspects). The unfisnished ending was a little bit out of place and unexpected, however it was well done and the right things that were meant to happened, they did.

I can't wait to see Todd Field's debut feature: In the Bedroom... I've fallen in love with his directing style and abilities.