LITTLE CHILDREN

Finally got to see this much aniticipated film starring one my favorites, Kate Winslet. I guess in short, Kate played a role I am pretty unfamiliar with seeing her play. The Infidelity part of her character stuck out. The director, Todd Fields, whose last movie a few years ago, IN THE BEDROOM, I felt was great. LITTLE CHILDREN has some similarities, which having seen both I can see how the same director could have made them both. LITTLE CHILDREN really focused a lot on whether the characters were doing the right thing, and in some ways, their infidelity actually may have been. Maybe the most liberal side to this film's plot was the character played by Jackie Earl Haley. Who portays a recently released from prison sex offender. After watching him for awhile it hit me that it was the kid who played Kelly from the BAD NEWS BEARS movies. Now he's 46, but that really caught me offguard. Believe it or not, the story lends you to ultimately feel for the guy, which when you see it, you'll realize why and why it's so strange. Haley ended up receiving a support nominations for the SAG awards announced this week. I suppose he would qualify for this, but his role was not tied to the leads much.

Overall, this was a very well written, well acted film. But it's not one that leaves you with smiles or even much relief. Very "Indie" I suppose in that respect. The resolution isn't crystal at the end, and it's hardly politically correct in many instances. It was based on a novel of the same name I guess, and the fact IN THE BEDROOM in a lot of ways had similar qualities and themes. But I guess my take was after seeing that film, as dark as it was, it still left me with the feeling that I was satisfied with the work the people who made it, put into it. It was one of those movies that has stuck with me over the years as an interesting and somewhat original plot twist. This new film from Todd Fields kind of left me more shocked and with the feeling that I struggled to watch it at times. That can be a good quality of a film, the deepness and impact, most recently in films I caught like THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS and especially ALFA DOG, but this one almost seemed more difficult, atleast thus far a few hours after seeing it. Or maybe a lot of that has to do with my adoration for Kate Winslet and how different she seemed in this movie, which I suppose ultimately is the mark of a good actor. But she LOOKED thinner and a bit different, which for an admirer, it kinda caught me offguard. Maybe it'll end up awarding her at the Globes or Oscars, sadly, maybe a bit makeup for previous roles she played she didn't win (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND perhaps?).

-Kyle