Capo
Administrator
Posts: 7,847
|
Post by Capo on Nov 17, 2006 19:05:19 GMT
1. In the Bedroom 2001 2. Little Children 2006
|
|
RNL
Global Moderator
Posts: 6,624
|
Post by RNL on Nov 18, 2006 2:04:50 GMT
1. Little Children (2006) 4/10
Modern Hollywood shorthand for "dark and deep": the humanisation of paedophilia.
I like the arch, knowing voiceover as a device, but it's out of place, it needs to be central and ubiquitous (as in Dogville) or it just comes across as cheap exposition. It's unique among its peers, though, and, because of that and on top of that, it's much better than the average Oscar-grubber.
Jennifer Connelly is way underused, and that one (really cool) scene in which Brad mentally compares her to Kate Winslet's character in an abstract white space doesn't fit the film at all.
|
|
Capo
Administrator
Posts: 7,847
|
Post by Capo on Nov 18, 2006 2:14:32 GMT
I came out of Little Children for a sandwich break (before going into The Prestige) churning with things to say; I found it as interesting as it was frustrating.
It's brimming full of ideas which never really connect, and the voice-over didn't add anything. The early conversation between the women at the park for instance was highly effective, shot in tight-close ups and made it clear that Winslet was the outcast. The voice-over detracted from Field's otherwise involving direction.
I thought the moment where the paedofile enters the swimming pool was brilliant, but the crescendo of panic overdone. His character arc was the most interesting of the bunch, but felt as if it was from another film completely. Am I wrong, or was there absolutely no sign of anybody else other than Winslet, Wilson and Connelly in the trailer? It made it out to be a claustrophobic, taut, three-way exploration of infidelity, but turned out to be a clash of ideas. The whole thing felt a few drafts shy of completion, of being a very good film.
I'm dying to see In the Bedroom again.
|
|
Boz
Published writer
Posts: 1,451
|
Post by Boz on Jan 23, 2007 9:06:25 GMT
|
|
|
Post by quentincompson on Oct 30, 2008 18:48:24 GMT
1.Little Children 5/10
Too obviously Freudian, plus there's all that Flaubert analyzation, a clear mark of an American independent film, they reference literature in the most basic way.
|
|
|
Post by Anasazie on Nov 1, 2008 23:31:39 GMT
1. In the Bedroom (2001) 5/10 2. Little Children (2006) 2/10
|
|