Oscar nominee: Best Leading Actress (Kate Winslet), Best Supporting Actor (Jackie Earle Haley), Best Adapted Screenplay
From what I had heard about this film beforehand, I expected it to be one of my favourites in the Oscar Race. But despite a great cast and an interesting premise, Little Children turns out to be little more than a disappointment. The film seems incomplete somehow, and while it could just be me not getting it, the high degree of overtness in large parts of the film suggests otherwise. Take the scene where they discuss Madame Bovary, for instance; instead of subtle references, we’re treated to an incredibly overt drawing of parallels between the characters. The sleepy omniscient narrator is also overused, too often stating the obvious in an overly important tone and disturbing the feel and flow of the film. I also can’t help but feel that the subplot with the child molester was rather mistreated. I would have liked to see more of him. From the previews, I got the idea that he was supposed to be the target of the entire suburban community’s projections of their own flaws and fears, but apart from one good scene involving a swimming-pool, we never really get to see more than just one person’s obsession. Little Children has a few tense moments toward the end, but they’re not enough to save a film that never really goes anywhere.
UPDATE: I swear I didn’t read Monica’s review before writing mine, but we seem to have been bothered by pretty much the same things. She’s much better at articulating her thoughts than I am, so if you know Swedish, go ahead and read her review as well.
