Little ChildrenDirected by Todd Field
Starring Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly
After an excellent debut directorial effort with In The Bedroom (based on Andre Dubus' short story), Todd Field puts his hands on bringing Tom Perotta's Little Children to the big screen. Little Children is the kind of film that deals with very the simplistic and even banal issues in life yet still succeeds at revealing the plethora of emotions within. Such is the challenge for both the director and the cast. In Little Children, no one fails.
Central to the film are two characters, Sarah Pierce and Brad Adamson. Sarah is a suburban housewife who gave up her job to bring up her little girl. Married to a frequently absent and porn-obsessed husband, Sarah thirsts for her long-lost freedom. Brad is a third-time bar exam bound househusband who has put his younger days of glory behind while his beautiful wife (Jennifer Connelly) makes documentaries for a living (Watch Connelly in the scene where her suspicion of an ongoing affair between the two leads her to crawl under the dining table to check if Sarah and Brad were playing footsie with each other; it's kind of bittersweet yet funny). When both Sarah and Brad meet one day at the playground in the park with their children in tow and later begin their ritualistic visits to the town pool, both fall in illicit love like never before to regain the lost days of adolescence. Interspersed throughout the film are smaller but cogent stories of related characters such as a psycho child pervert with a doting mother and a once-errant policeman full of rage.
The delightful Kate Winslet plays Sarah Pierce with gusto. Immersed in the role, she shows a gradual keenness to break out of her long-suffering marriage to a loveless man by guiltlessly engaging in secret trysts with the very attractive but somewhat deadpan Brad played by Patrick Wilson. Though both are hardly each other's type, they fell madly into the kind of love that sought to liberate them from all burdens. The love scenes between both could be best described as raw fiery passion. Everything ends with the realization that this love wasn't headed for anywhere more than their hearts desire. Equally mesmerising are the subplots of a doting mother (Phyllis Sommerville) trying to fix her just-released pervert son (Jackie Earle Haley) who eventually lost his only lifeline to the raging cop who's out to humiliate him. The commentary-style of the film also works well to explain some of the hidden thoughts of the characters.
Todd Field succeeds once again with his delicate treatment of the original book. Despite all the pain, loss and heartbreak, the film leaves a feeling of hope as it ends with the trusty advice, "You can't change history, but the future is a different story. You have to start somewhere." (A+)
Central to the film are two characters, Sarah Pierce and Brad Adamson. Sarah is a suburban housewife who gave up her job to bring up her little girl. Married to a frequently absent and porn-obsessed husband, Sarah thirsts for her long-lost freedom. Brad is a third-time bar exam bound househusband who has put his younger days of glory behind while his beautiful wife (Jennifer Connelly) makes documentaries for a living (Watch Connelly in the scene where her suspicion of an ongoing affair between the two leads her to crawl under the dining table to check if Sarah and Brad were playing footsie with each other; it's kind of bittersweet yet funny). When both Sarah and Brad meet one day at the playground in the park with their children in tow and later begin their ritualistic visits to the town pool, both fall in illicit love like never before to regain the lost days of adolescence. Interspersed throughout the film are smaller but cogent stories of related characters such as a psycho child pervert with a doting mother and a once-errant policeman full of rage.
The delightful Kate Winslet plays Sarah Pierce with gusto. Immersed in the role, she shows a gradual keenness to break out of her long-suffering marriage to a loveless man by guiltlessly engaging in secret trysts with the very attractive but somewhat deadpan Brad played by Patrick Wilson. Though both are hardly each other's type, they fell madly into the kind of love that sought to liberate them from all burdens. The love scenes between both could be best described as raw fiery passion. Everything ends with the realization that this love wasn't headed for anywhere more than their hearts desire. Equally mesmerising are the subplots of a doting mother (Phyllis Sommerville) trying to fix her just-released pervert son (Jackie Earle Haley) who eventually lost his only lifeline to the raging cop who's out to humiliate him. The commentary-style of the film also works well to explain some of the hidden thoughts of the characters.
Todd Field succeeds once again with his delicate treatment of the original book. Despite all the pain, loss and heartbreak, the film leaves a feeling of hope as it ends with the trusty advice, "You can't change history, but the future is a different story. You have to start somewhere." (A+)
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