Little Children Reviews

Nowadays, this movie is pretty much forgotten but when it was released, it gained mostly positive reviews. It was the 2nd (and so far) last directing effort by Todd Field, an obscure actor who happened to be a terrific director. Personally, I thought this movie was really good. Indeed, the actors (Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley, Noah Emmerich) were all really good and, above all, I thought the story was quite spellbinding. I can understand that some people were not so found of this story but I really liked it. Indeed, most of those characters were really unlikeable, like obviously the pedophile played by Jackie Earle Haley but also the adultrous couple played by Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson was also just some whining and above all terribly egoistical persons. I mean, they both have kids but there is not a single moment during the whole thing when I felt that they really cared for their offsprings. Basically, the only thing that mattered for them was their immediate short-term pleasure, that's it. I know, when you read this, I don't make it sound really appealing but I thought that those characters were really flawed, messed up and therefore really interesting, way more than the usual stereotypes you get in your typical hollywood productions. Also, the way they handled the pedophilia was also rather subtle and really interesting as well. To conclude, even though it is definitely an acquired taste, I thought it was really good and I think it is worth a look.

American Beauty meets Desperate Housewives, yet like the latter it's better suited to the small screen

Little Children didn't hit the right notes for me. The performances are all good enough but the story is excessive, especially the perverts fate. If you can listen to the narrator throughout without feeling even slightly annoyed you'll deserve a medal. It felt as if the writers struggled to adapt the original text, and settled for the easy option instead.

Winslet was far better than the material.

Seriously, what was the POINT of this film? There is a guy who is a stay at home dad, but not by choice, more because he's totally unambitious about finish his bar exam to be a lawyer. He has a gorgeous wife that is always nagging him about getting back on track and about passing his bar exam (and rightfully so). They have an adorable son, perfectly behaved, never talks back, always polite. that's one major clue this is a complete fantasy film, created in a world of make-believe.

Then you have Kate Winslet, she's a frumpy housewife in a loveless marriage. She has a cute little girl about same age as the guy's son.

They meet in a park and sparks fly, and it eventually leads to a wild adulterous affair. And between this main storyline, there is also the story of a strange and pathetic man who moves in with his mother after being released from jail. Being a pedophile, the neighborhood gets notified of this, and a few citizens lead a crusade to terrorize him and to warn everyone about him. This also has the audience on edge (probably only reason I kept watching), wondering how the story will cross paths near the end, seeing two cute perfect little kids, and a pedophile living in the area.

Well without giving away what happens, after 2+ hrs (WAY WAY too long, for this type of film), the conclusion felt rushed, pointless, ridiculous, unbelievable. What a bloody waste of my time.

The only reason I'm giving this overdrawn episode of 'Desperate Housewives' a generous 6/10 is because the acting from Winslet as well as the guy who played the pedophile were truly amazing. Good for one-time watch just for their performances, but drink lots of coffee to stay awake and don't expect much from the storylines.