Running time: 137 minutes
Starring: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley
Rating 8 out of 10
After his scathing dissection of a marriage in crisis with In the Bedroom, director Todd Field returns with his second full-length feature, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta. While In the Bedroom walked away empty-handed on Oscar night despite its five nominations, this time around Field may have a better chance of striking gold.
Once again Field chooses a crumbling marriage to make reflections on contemporary America. Kate Winslet stars as Sarah Pierce, a young educated mother of one living in a suffocating marriage (her husband Gregg is a successful executive who spends most of his time masturbating to online porn) in a suffocating New England town. Her fellow mums at the park are latter day Stepford Wives who eye up the only male in their group, Brad, (Patrick Wilson) without doing anything about it, and who generally represent the cloying conservative nature of much of the modern USA.
Sarah clicks with Brad - to the chagrin of her playgroup cohorts - but he too is stuck in a tepid relationship with the uber-anal Kathy (Jennifer Connelly). The two free spirits spend more and more time together as one thing leads to another, while the town they live in is appalled by the return of convicted flasher Ronald (Jackie Earle Haley), who is perceived as a dangerous child molester.
With its beautiful and dreamy photography, Little Children is mesmerizing to watch. Field builds up an incredible sense of tension in each scene, leading to a masterfully-shot centerpiece when Ronald decides to take a swim at the public pool. If modern America is anyting like this, then it's no wonder the country's popularity is on the wane.
The performances all-round are outstanding, from Winslet's feisty Sarah to Patrick Wilson's weak-natured Brad. Mention should also be made of Jennifer Connelly, rather terrifying as the uptight mother of Brad's child, and especially Jackie Earle Haley as Ronnie, who makes a stunning return to the screen after an absence of thirteen years.
This is an exceptional film, but one which is not easy viewing, as it may well make the viewer question his or her own life situation. Whether it's too uncomfortable for the forthcoming awards season remains to be seen.
Paul Hurley
Once again Field chooses a crumbling marriage to make reflections on contemporary America. Kate Winslet stars as Sarah Pierce, a young educated mother of one living in a suffocating marriage (her husband Gregg is a successful executive who spends most of his time masturbating to online porn) in a suffocating New England town. Her fellow mums at the park are latter day Stepford Wives who eye up the only male in their group, Brad, (Patrick Wilson) without doing anything about it, and who generally represent the cloying conservative nature of much of the modern USA.
Sarah clicks with Brad - to the chagrin of her playgroup cohorts - but he too is stuck in a tepid relationship with the uber-anal Kathy (Jennifer Connelly). The two free spirits spend more and more time together as one thing leads to another, while the town they live in is appalled by the return of convicted flasher Ronald (Jackie Earle Haley), who is perceived as a dangerous child molester.
With its beautiful and dreamy photography, Little Children is mesmerizing to watch. Field builds up an incredible sense of tension in each scene, leading to a masterfully-shot centerpiece when Ronald decides to take a swim at the public pool. If modern America is anyting like this, then it's no wonder the country's popularity is on the wane.
The performances all-round are outstanding, from Winslet's feisty Sarah to Patrick Wilson's weak-natured Brad. Mention should also be made of Jennifer Connelly, rather terrifying as the uptight mother of Brad's child, and especially Jackie Earle Haley as Ronnie, who makes a stunning return to the screen after an absence of thirteen years.
This is an exceptional film, but one which is not easy viewing, as it may well make the viewer question his or her own life situation. Whether it's too uncomfortable for the forthcoming awards season remains to be seen.
Paul Hurley
