Yesterday I saw Little Children, which is easily one of my favorite new films of the last few years. But before I get to the actual review, I wanted to provide an image to accompany the article; my first blog photo! Ok, so I’m about 5 years behind the curve when it comes to blog technology and style, but one of the changes I’m instituting on my blog in 2007 is the addition of photos.
When actor Patrick Wilson first appeared on screen in Little Children, here is the visual that popped into the invisible bubble above my head:
This is how my brain operates; almost everyone has a celebrity look-a-like, and I spend entirely too much time contemplating just that.
Anyway, back to the movie review.
I not only loved this film, I was haunted by it. There are some serious and interesting moral dilemmas that unfold in very uncomfortable ways, which made every single person in the audience squirm and/or fidget at some point during the movie. Director Todd Field has an eye for the intense unraveling of seemingly idyllic suburban life; domestic turmoil was also prevalent in his previous effort, In the Bedroom. The script is spot-on, which is no surprise given that the screenplay was by co-written by Tom Perrotta, who also wrote the brilliant Election. The tone and spirit of Little Children reminded me of American Beauty, which is another plus in my book.
It is no secret that Kate Winslet is one of my favorite actresses ever. I know I’m not the first person to assert that she should be nominated for Best Actress for her role in Little Children, nor will I be the only one to state that this is her best role yet. Winslet has already been nominated four times before the age of 30, an Academy Awards record. But she is simply extraordinary in this movie; one of the very few who can transform before our very eyes, with great success, from British movie star to drab American housewife. Above and beyond the dialect and dialogue, Winslet is all eyes and facial expression; every detail you need to know about her character lives there. This role was a daring and challenging choice, as Winslet’s character in the film is a far cry from Mother of the Year, in direct opposition to her real life as a happy young mom of two.
I’ve heard great reviews about Helen Mirren in The Queen, which I will see this weekend, but in my opinion Winslet gives the performance of the year and of her career in Little Children.
With all of the buzz about Winslet, I completely forgot that Jennifer Connelly was also in the movie. Her role is quite small in comparison, and could have been filled by an actress without a Best Supporting Actress statue, to be honest. In an interesting casting note, Jackie Earle Haley (the original Kelly Leak in 1976’s Bad News Bears and Moocher in 1979’s Breaking Away) makes a comeback of sorts in Little Children, playing a very pivotal and controversial character – a convicted sex offender. He also appeared in All the King’s Men last year, which is on my DVD rental list despite widespread critical panning.
Go see Little Children now, while it is still playing in limited release at theatres in major cities. Come Oscar time, you won’t regret it.
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