Review: “Little Children”
“Little Children” is a 2006 film by Todd Field, based on a novel by Tom Perrotta, that tells several intertwining stories of troubled suburban characters. The story, without giving too much away, surrounds a town that recently has a registered sex offender living there. This is a partial reason for tension in the neighborhood. Main characters include a wife/mother played by Kate Winslet who develops a secret affair with Patrick Wilson’s character. Jackie Earle Haley plays the sex offender who lives with his mother and isn’t very welcomed. The story is presented in sometimes a form of a novel involving a narrator that sometimes tells the audience the thoughts of a character in a moment. The script seems to only give selected scenes to the narrator while leaving other parts more towards the actors responsibility to present the emotions and thoughts. With multiple storylines, it can be difficult to collect them all in a coherent form. Sometimes one character doesn’t get as much screentime as another. In this case I think Jackie Earle Haley, who performed a very dark and realistic character, didn’t get as much development as Kate Winslet’s character. The screenwriting and directing mainly determines which character will be focused on more. Patrick Wilson’s performance was alright but I think he’s still missing something to really say he’s a great actor. Other supporting roles were carried out well, especially Jennifer Connelly, who I think had the best performance in the film Requiem for a Dream. Back to Little Children, the film’s style in cinematography was nicely done and what surprised me the most was the final act. In that act, I really was grabbed in and wanted to know what was going to happen next. I wish every film can have that effect where it grabs your full attention and where those last final moments really interest you. The film ends in with a very interesting message towards choices, family, adulthood and redemption.
The Verdict
- Must See!
- Not Bad.
- Rent It.
- Must Miss!
