MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY FILM INQUIRER

By Jordan Low

The second (and, until Tár releases, to date, last) film by Todd Field, Little Children is an explosive portrayal of desire, violence, and forgiveness led by a stellar cast and a director at the top of his game. Our guide through suburban hell comes in the form of Sarah (Kate Winslet), whose introduction sees her reeling from the revelation that hubby Richard (Gregg Edelman) happens to be a hopeless porn addict. On a park walk with her 3-year-old daughter, Sarah encounters Brad (Patrick Wilson); tall, charming and well-known among the other mothers at the park as the ‘Prom King’. As luck would have it, Brad is in a similarly unhappy marriage, and has been distracting himself by getting involved with a local sports team. Naturally, the two hit it off, and suddenly their lives have reclaimed a surprising sense of normalcy.

Enter the third and arguably most important main character: Ronnie (Jackie Earle Haley), a recently-released sex offender whose crimes are still fresh in public memory. His mother’s (Phyllis Somerville) efforts to reintegrate him into society are sad reminders that the new Ronnie is not quite the boy who left for prison. His release also gains the attention of Brad’s pal Larry (Noah Emmerich), a local cop with demons of his own and who sees Ronnie as an outlet for redemption.

The lives of these imperfect characters intersect in unexpected ways, and the well-paced script never neglects any of the unfolding storylines. Dialogue throughout the film retains a surprising amount of warmth that cuts through the occasionally grim proceedings. Sarah and Brad’s affair is played with conviction by the two leads, while Haley manages to inject much-needed humanity into what should be a despicable being. Meanwhile, the family-friendly locations provide a deceptively innocent backdrop against which the characters live out their sinful lives. A chance encounter at a public park sets the stage for an erotic affair, while a scene at a child-filled pool ends with such vitriol that you will likely be caught unawares by its impact.

Nevertheless, it is the emotional core of the film that gives it its standout strength; the disgusting act Ronnie does at the end of his mother-arranged date is heartbreaking not only because of its inevitable nature, but because we as an audience want him to succeed as much as his mother does. Sarah believes she is doing right by ditching her porn-addict husband, but is an adulterer really any better? And finally, the naivety of Brad’s courtship of Sarah is both amusing and bittersweet, as we, unlike Brad, see its implausibility from the very beginning.

Diverging from Field’s debut In The Bedroom (2001), Little Children offers its characters (and audience) a small glimpse of hope as the events drive toward a rousing conclusion. It is only through sure-handed direction and heartfelt performances that we come to care about these people who, in their own ways, simply want to be loved.

Rating: 10/10

Little Children can currently be watched on Stan in Australia.

This review is part three of a three-part series of retrospective reviews by Jordan Low examining films to do with love and intersecting relationships in the modern world. Part one, a review of A Confucian Confusion (1994), can be read here. Part two, a review of Weekend (2011), can be read here.