What is it about?
Little Children intertwines the characters’ lives, thwarted fortunes, secrets, dreams, fantasies and anxieties in the deceptive tranquility of a middle-class East Coast suburb.
Little Kids, written by Todd Field, Tom Perrotta, directed by Todd Field with Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly…
Dark Desperate Housewives
If you thought Desperate Housewives only existed on Wisteria Lane, think again. There are other desperate housewives who live in nice, clean suburbs. And they are in small children.
The first of these is played by Kate Winslet, who once again gives a wonderful performance as a hapless housewife who seeks and finds love outside of marriage in the arms of Patrick Wilson. A performance that earned him nominations for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
She plays Sara, a hard-working mother of a little girl whose husband, a marketing manager, has a secret addiction to Internet pornography. Disillusioned with her life and tired of being with the uptight moms of the local arena, she deliberately scandalizes them by flirting with a sexy dad named Brad (Patrick Wilson).
Brad is haunted by the career success of his beautiful wife (Jennifer Connelly), passing the bar exam, and pressure from his colleagues to join a vigilante campaign against a free-spirited pedophile who lives in the area.
Not recommended for children under 16, this drama is a collaboration between director Todd Field – author of The Amazing Tar – and Tom Perrotta, based on the latter’s novel. This is the same Tom Perrotta who we will find a few years later with Damon Lindelof for another major work, but this time on the side of the series, The Leftovers.
Beyond its setting, which is uniquely reminiscent of the Desperate Housewives series, but with a darker tone, we can also bring small children closer to Sam Mendes’ American Beauty. It is also a film that knows how to surprise the audience and take them to a field that was not announced at all. There are a lot of laughs and a lot of shocks, but also a lot of point-of-view changes in a narrative sense that keep the audience on their toes throughout. A film to be seen or re-watched without moderation.
Little Children is available on Netflix until April 14th.
Discover an interview with Kate Winslet at the film’s release:
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
