Little Children movie---Cinematic masterpiece!

[jon1jt]

i recently went to see, Little Children with Kate Winslet and highly recommend it! winslet looks sexy despite her portrayal as a 30-something dumpy soccer mom. someone told me they were "disturbed" by the movie. :brickwall maybe you've seen the film and would like to share.

[Idril]

I've read some good reviews of that movie although I haven't seen it. I've always really liked Kate Winslet because she doesn't think she has to be a size 0 to be a good actress and yet she still looks fabulous. And I think disturbing is often good if it makes you think a little bit, everyone needs their boundries pushed every now and then. ;)

[Riesa]

I like her too, loved her in Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless mind. I'm looking forward to seeing it. I can't see how it would be disturbing, unless it bears resemblance to Me, Myself and Irene. Now that's a disturbing little film that undoubtedly pushed my boundaries. Boundaries that, I might add, can stand a slight amount of pressure.

[Logos]

This movie is on my list to see, though it might be when its on DVD that I get around to it :p I love Winslett too, I think she's a very dynamic actress. I just (again) watched her in Iris (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280778/) and think she does a fabulous job portraying the author Iris Murdoch.

[Idril]

Boundaries that, I might add, can stand a slight amount of pressure.

But not too much. :lol:

She was great in Eternal Sunshine, I thought that was a great movie all the way around. The character she plays in this movie is supposed to be a very emotionally uninvolved mother so I don't know if the disturbing comes from that or what, Jon will have to tell us.

[miss tenderness]

I've not seen it , but I'll try to! the thing is it doesn't matter if Winslet looks sexy or not:DI like her accent!

[Helga]

unfortunetly, since I live in Iceland not all movies are in theatre, I have only read about this one on the net but I certainly plan on seeing it, when ever it comes here.Winslet is great, I've always loved her. Eternal sunshine was great, seen it like 10 times...

[jon1jt]

But not too much. :lol:

She was great in Eternal Sunshine, I thought that was a great movie all the way around. The character she plays in this movie is supposed to be a very emotionally uninvolved mother so I don't know if the disturbing comes from that or what, Jon will have to tell us.

i loved Eternal Sunshine flick as well! as far as the character she plays, the husband doesn't give her much incentive to be emotionally involved. her daughter is the center of her universe, but it's not enough, nor can it ever be enough. so the movie goes.

as far as the disturbing aspect, i'm not quite sure either. there's a convicted pedophile in the film that creates a frenzy in the town, but nothing happens there.

[vheissu]

Ok, so I went to see "Little children" tonight, expecting i don't know what...but I have read so many reviews proclaiming this film a masterpiece that maybe I went to see it with too high hopes.
It was an excellent film: the characters where very well developed though you felt more or less sorry for all of them, and for some a bit disgusted. Kate Winslet was indeed very good, though I also liked the old lady a lot!She had character!
And although the story does make you think a lot about relationships (notjust romantic ones), personal conflictions and how society (doesn't?) work...I was very disapointed by the end! Or at least one part of it, which I suppose is the main one...
I'd like to discuss it more but I'll respect the fact that some people might not have seen it yet. And I'm not trying to discourage anyone from seeing it, it'sjust that I do not tend to always agree with the super positive/negative opinion of the majority. Or even on the criticism of people termed as "authoritive" figures, especially with regard to films!
In addition, my opinion on this film and in particular on it's ending, could have been hugely influenced on my parents recent separation, which has completely changed my views on relationships (again, not just romantic ones!).
Soooo, see it if you want, it is good, but....my view is that it is not the magnificent, superbly done masterpiece of the year (as one poster says).
And I would like to discuss it if anyone wants to...I just don't know if people want to get 'spoilers' or not :)

[jon1jt]

Ok, so I went to see "Little children" tonight, expecting i don't know what...but I have read so many reviews proclaiming this film a masterpiece that maybe I went to see it with too high hopes.
It was an excellent film: the characters where very well developed though you felt more or less sorry for all of them, and for some a bit disgusted. Kate Winslet was indeed very good, though I also liked the old lady a lot!She had character!
And although the story does make you think a lot about relationships (notjust romantic ones), personal conflictions and how society (doesn't?) work...I was very disapointed by the end! Or at least one part of it, which I suppose is the main one...
I'd like to discuss it more but I'll respect the fact that some people might not have seen it yet. And I'm not trying to discourage anyone from seeing it, it'sjust that I do not tend to always agree with the super positive/negative opinion of the majority. Or even on the criticism of people termed as "authoritive" figures, especially with regard to films!
In addition, my opinion on this film and in particular on it's ending, could have been hugely influenced on my parents recent separation, which has completely changed my views on relationships (again, not just romantic ones!).
Soooo, see it if you want, it is good, but....my view is that it is not the magnificent, superbly done masterpiece of the year (as one poster says).
And I would like to discuss it if anyone wants to...I just don't know if people want to get 'spoilers' or not :)


the end of this film captures the essence of the american mind all too well. i don't want to give away the end either, but perhaps i can put it into the form of a question: When love recedes, do the remaining ties that bind a marriage and children come first, even before the will to "live"?

vheissu: i honestly don't know how you could be disappointed by the end of the movie. it's a quite realistic depiction of what happens when two people push the social boundaries and the "choice" they inevitably face when they come to the end of their rope. the movie also demonstrates there is the appearance society works. the movie lifts the veil on american marriages (not all, obviously). but it does present a common problem in marriage and leaves it up to the viewer to decide whether a solution even exists. with art, it doesn't get any better than that. here we have a film that actually challenges the very tenets of our culture---the structure of and rationale for our own existence, a movie that opens up a whole new sphere for a dialogue on what is still a taboo subject. Cheers to the powers behind this film who are, in my mind, daring souls.

[vheissu]

Hmm...you've definitely made me think!
Well...in answer to your question: if there is no love or even a strong friendship in a marriage, where children are involved, then I don't believe it is for the best that a couple stays together. I do believe that a 'will to live' is more important that living under the same roof in a miserable state. Even if you do it for your kids, they can sense the confrontation and hostility within a household, and how are you expected to raise your child by pretending that you are a 'happy family'?
I do speak from experience, not just my parents but for many people that I know, that were in a worst or same state. And when we were children we could understand what was really going on and how our parents were trying to hide it. And failed at it. Which led most of us to change our views in regards to relationships and in the concept of modern marriage.
So back to the film: you are presented with the possibility of a solution and the end of the film took one such solution. Which doesn't mean that there aren't other options. It's always important to remember that in whatever situation you are, you have choices, which you stick with and follow.
Whether the choices you make are right or wrong is always a matter of perspective, yours and the 'external' subject.
I'll say again that it was one part of the film's end that I was disapointed with: not that of the two, lets say for simplicity, 'bad guys'; that end was really sad and touching.
I'm refering more to the two protagonist's choices, but again, it's the direction that the film took and it does leave you with the possibility of a 'what if': several different directions could have been taken, and they could have been right or wrong. And it's you, the viewer, who has the chance to judge them, based on your experience in society so far.
And I do hope that "Little children" will make people stop and think, even a little bit, about their private existance, the relatioships they are in and how society is built upon them and the results of the choices they make.
But still, I can't see the uniqueness of this film, since there have been several works of art, not just in cinematography, which have been more daring. Or maybe I'm hard to impress....;)
I wonder though...will this film be remembered (for it's message) in say, 5 years?

[jon1jt]

I wonder though...will this film be remembered (for it's message) in say, 5 years?


of course not; only movies like King Kong and Batman leave such a lasting impression. :lol: actually the movie American Beauty, which has some resemblance to Little Children, was made more than five years ago and is still remembered; or at least my friends think so. i plan to buy the Little Children DVD. Does that count? :D