Little Children

When you know going in that a film is based on a novel, the chances are good that you're in for a disappointment. If you read the book and loved it, the film won't live up to what went on in your head. When the film resorts to a non-character voice over of description from the novel, whether you read the novel or not becomes sort of moot. If they need to read to you from the book - the book was better. That said, this is an interesting film, probably because author and director (Tom Perrrota and Todd Field) collaborated on the screenplay and most likely created a different animal altogether.

Little Children is a study of homo sapiens suburbia from the handsome football star who peaked in college, the housewife with a masters in English Lit and a husband addicted to porn, to the pedophile back from prison. And I do mean study, as in it shows all their bumps and scars and wobbley bits in all their human glory. Nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress (Kate Winslet) and Best Supporting Actor (Jackie Earle Haley), this is an actors dream film - there is no real story only pages and pages of character development. Even so the film does pull you along to a dramatic climax as you anxiously await the disaster or near miss that humans inevitably create.

I'll go on the record that I believe Kate Winslet is one of the great actresses of her generation, but every performance in this film was on the mark. Be prepared for lots of lousy judgement and a fair amount of nakedness and sexuality. I personally did not have a problem with loads of sweaty Patrick Wilson booty, others might.

View the lackluster website here.