Little Children (2006)

Director: Todd Field

Cast: Kate Winslet as Sarah Pierce, Patrick Wilson as Brad Adamson, Jennifer Connelly as Kathy Adamson, Gregg Edelman as Richard Pierce, Sadie Goldstein as Lucy Pierce, Ty Simpkins as Aaron Adamson, Noah Emmerich as Larry Hedges, Jackie Earle Haley as Ronnie J. McGorvey, Phyllis Somerville as May McGorvey, Helen Carey as Jean, Catherine Wolf as Marjorie, Mary B. McCann as Mary Ann, Trini Alvarado as Theresa, Marsha Dietlein as Cheryl (as Marsha Dietlein Bennett), Jane Adams as Sheila

Relationship drama is on the menu and Todd Field is the waiter, with
expert skill and neat presentation. 'Little Children' zooms in on
suburbia, navigating the world of desperate housewives and husbands.
The dish proves a pleasant diversion, with crisp performances and a
tasty centre.

So tasty, in fact, that Little Children is one of the most interesting
films of recent years. It is far from the greatest, and is not devoid
of faults, but a genuine evocation of interest should be attributed to
Field's story. Every character unflinchingly demands our attention. We
want to know more about precisely everyone in the community. In the
front row for fascination sits Ronnie, the resident child molestor, who
pends between likable and freak. He is the overriding nominator for
'Little Children' – and his presence greatly upsets the parents.

Yet most salience is given to Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson as Sarah
and Pierce – two lonely, bored and desperate housespouses who, in the
midst of having nothing to do, innocently begin an extramarital affair
with each other. Through calm narration, the film introduces Sarah as
an anthropologist and remarks how she is different from the contingent
of housemoms. However it becomes apparent that the director is the
anthropologist and not Sarah. Indeed Field studies human relationships
accordingly, interweaving loneliness, desperation, jealousy, lust and
betrayal. Sarah, in fact, loses her 'objective' stance and melts in
with the rest as she indulges in her passion with Brad.

It needs to be said that 'Little Children' often tips over into comedy
and it is this refreshing edge that bumps it up to 8/10 on my scale. It
treats serious subjects, such as pedophilia, infidelity and loneliness
– but it does so with the spark in the eye. A consistent cloud of
laughter seemed to hover in the air of my theatre at the Stockholm Film
Festival and Kate Winslet was undoubtedly the catalyst. She gives a
fine performance with excellent emotional transparency, layered skill
and above all with an inherent funny bone that translates to a goofy
woman. The humour is surprisingly in-tune even with the other
characters with all their quirks and afflictions, such as
child-molestation and online pornography.

Toward the end, 'Little Children' patiently crafts a sense of impending
doom that deserves much credit. Nevertheless, the ending isn't the best
imaginable. The film could benefit from being slightly shorter. Lastly
the use of cute kids as tearjerkers is a disappointing cheap-shot used
a little too often, and seems mostly a tiresome American phenomenon.
Yet as a whole entity Little Children is a very interesting film that
makes the best possible use of characters, relationships and suburban
drama. Throw in a few exceptionally neat steadicam shots –
Scorsese-style – and the experience is complete.

8 out of 10