Todd Field's Little Children
I met director Todd Field before the very first screening of Little Children
here at Telluride 2006. He was very nervous and didn't want to say a
thing about the film. I see now why he didn't. It was so important for
the experience to have no notion of what would happen in this film, and
I won't give anything away here.
Like his first film, In the Bedroom, Field creates unbelievable tension in the most understated moments. I described In the Bedroom as Field slowly winding a thin wire tighter and tighter. With Little Children,
it's like he's ratcheting the tension of a garage door coil. There are
moments I seriously wasn't sure I'd make it through. But what's unlike
any film I've seen before is how he breaks these tense moments with
hysterical comedy. He so deftly walks a tightrope between tragedy and
comedy, it's simply awe inspiring.
The legend of the sophomore film is when a first-time filmmaker has
a break out hit, the second film rarely lives up to the first. Not the
case with Little Children. Every moment is original, every
character so fully rounded. He even resurrects one of my favorite
actors from childhood. Jackie Earl Haley played Moocher in Breaking Away, one of my favorite movies. He hasn't been in a film since. His performance in Little Children lingers with you like few do.
Little Children is not for the faint of heart. I was
emotionally exhausted when it ended. But if you have the stamina, it's
so worth watching this director work.
Posted
Tuesday, September 05, 2006 3:01 PM
Paul is right on. I, too, was at the premier in Telluride and saw Todd Field discuss his film after the screening.
I saw Todd walk up the aisle to his seat after he introduced the movie and he looked mortified (I also saw him at dinner afterwards and he looked like he was more comfortable). But, enough about how the director felt; the audience response after the movie was that of stunned and more importantly during the screening you could see other viewers shaking their heads and or hiding their faces or slapping their knees at a number of plot turns and awkward situations. This movie, indeed, illicits the viewer's physical responses.
What struck me was the pace of the film. It slaps you in the face with color and imagery and perfect musical accompaniment to pique interest. It is so tense in the first 15 minutes that it feels as though there is going to be a major event and that the rest of the film would be devoted to explaining or reconciling that event. It is not so. The viewer rises to the energy level and the film grooves into its storyline with much curiosity and style.
The movie's characters were perfectly cast. Brad and Kate were magical together. Sorry Kevin and Annette, but this movie blows American Beauty out of the water for the "shake up the suburbs flick." To call this the American Beauty of the next millenium does not do it justice.
Also, on a side note: after seeing Todd walking up the aisle, I knew his face from somewhere. After some chewing on it, looked it up, and sure enough, he played Nick Nightingale in 'Eyes Wide Shut' (you know, F I D E L I O). Funny when that happens.
Can't wait for the next one, Todd.