X
- 2016
- PG
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 25 m
- 2016
- PG
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 25 m
Summary Jake (Theo Taplitz) is a quiet, sensitive middle schooler with dreams of being an artist. He meets the affably brash Tony (Michael Barbieri) at his grandfather's funeral, and the unlikely pair soon hit it off. The budding friendship is put at risk, however, when a rent dispute between Jake's father, Brian (Greg Kinnear), and Tony's mothe...
Directed By: Ira Sachs
Written By: Mauricio Zacharias
- 2016
- PG
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 25 m
- 2016
- PG
- Magnolia Pictures
- 1 h 25 m
Little Men
7.7
Where to Watch
Summary Jake (Theo Taplitz) is a quiet, sensitive middle schooler with dreams of being an artist. He meets the affably brash Tony (Michael Barbieri) at his grandfather's funeral, and the unlikely pair soon hit it off. The budding friendship is put at risk, however, when a rent dispute between Jake's father, Brian (Greg Kinnear), and Tony's mothe...
Directed By: Ira Sachs
Written By: Mauricio Zacharias
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 37 Critic Reviews
86
95% Positive
35 Reviews
35 Reviews
5% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 37 Critic Reviews
86
95% Positive
35 Reviews
35 Reviews
5% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
It’s a subtle movie, alert to the almost imperceptible currents of feeling that pass between its title characters.
The most remarkable thing about Ira Sachs’ richly textured new film Little Men is how it manages to be about so much, and yet so little.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 55 User Ratings
7.7
78% Positive
43 Ratings
43 Ratings
16% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
5% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 55 User Ratings
7.7
78% Positive
43 Ratings
43 Ratings
16% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
5% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
A very simple yet endearing and well-acted film. The film shows great virtues of friendship throughout and simply made for a really well-made character study, particularly between the two young actors playing the sons. Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Ehle also turned in worthwhile performances as well. Overall, despite its simplicity, the story warmed my heart and all of the actors in the film gave charming performances.
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You know how some kids just connect? Jake and Tony connect. And the adults in their lives, without really meaning to do so, make it difficult for that connection to hold. It is a measure of Sachs' talent and skills that such a seemingly small story can resonate in such big ways.
By the end, Sachs has raised urgent questions about immigration, classism, gentrification, loyalty, family and nascent sexuality – but he’s done so utterly organically, via 10 square feet of city. Lovely.
A nuanced portrait of a city in flux (or decline) that uses the impressionableness of adolescence to shake our own understanding of gentrification and its residual effects, Little Men is that rarest of beasts: a truly hopeful heartbreaker.
The movie is as interesting as spying on your neighbors during the most interesting 85 minutes of their lives.
Little Men doesn’t come to grips with much of anything, leaving relationships and questions of sexuality and even Leonor’s uncertain future uncertain.
Really good acting. The story was a bit predictable but it's just a little human interest story. It's a small story focusing on the two boys who are really stars of the film. There are some really emotional scenes to look
forward to. One is the seamstress talking about the grandfather. Another is one of the boys finding out what's happening to his best friend's family. There's also a very funny scene of one of the boys who wants to be an actor. Like i said, it's a small story.
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I enjoyed this film for its depiction of early adolescence friendship naturally created, outside of the context of an otherwise uncomfortable family situation. I liked the light, upbeat 'tinkly' music played in the background of scenes showing the 2 boys hanging out together. There's a fair element of escapism present, as well as a sense of nostalgia. I enjoyed it and I think its a good film that I'd recommend generally.
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Little Men is a solid film from director Ira Sachs. A film about the friendship between two boys and how it becomes fractured due to a business dispute between their parents, the film feels real. At every turn, it feels like real life. These are real people and get authentic performances from good, down to earth actors. That said, Little Men is hardly perfect. Though it really captures the look and feel of Brooklyn and the surrounding community, in addition to its characters, it just feels so slight. It covers the topics of young male friendship, immaturity, and lack of understanding between parents and children, but it never does it in an acceptable depth. The film sort of appears, touches on these topics, and then disappears because it is far too short. That said, it does have moments of real resonance that stand out and make this a more than worthwhile experience.
Little Men introduces us to Tony Calvelli (Michael Barbieri) and Jake Jardine (Theo Taplitz). Following the death of Jake's grandfather, he and his parents move into his Brooklyn apartment and now own the store space below the apartment. Currently, the store is owned by Tony's mother, Leonor (Paulina Garcia). Unfortunately, she has been paying very little due to a favorable relationship with Brian Jardine's (Greg Kinnear) now deceased father. As Brian is a failing actor and his wife is the sole breadwinner for the family, he desperately needs to raise the lease amount. His sister also is pressuring him to do so, leading to friction with Leonor. This friction gets to the kids who, in an act of unity, refuse to talk to their parents. Yet, despite everyone's best intentions, the families are tragically driven apart.
It is in this relationship between the families that the film really soars. A lack of communication permeates this film and is what really drives them apart. People avoid confrontation or simply use muteness as a sign of disagreement. This really only exacerbates their problems, as little Jake soon realizes. In an emotional moment of the film, he has an outburst in front of everybody and apologizes to his dad for not talking to him and begs to understand why they are doing this to the Calvelli's. This outburst highlights the importance of communication (sometimes too much of it) and how it has led to the crumbling of relations between these two, once close, families. On this note, however, the observations feel relatively mundane and overly slight. It never dives into them enough and what really makes these people tick. It adds elements - such as Jake likely being **** - to add depth to the characters and add to the realism, but much of it never really impacts the film or the characters in any meaningful way. While that is fine, it would have been nice if it had added to the themes explored in the film or even the overall disintegration of the relationships in the film.
That said, the friendship in the film between Jake and Tony is terrific. Willing to defend each other no matter what, the fast friends are solidly acted by the young actors. They can be loose around one another and express their hopes and dreams, without fear of judgment. They encourage one another from the start and can simply pal around and do whatever. Really a tenderly written friendship, this element of the film is one of the best parts of Little Men and why it deserves the acclaim it has received for the most part. Not too many films create such a delicate and tender look at teenage male friendships, yet this one does and its authenticity is astounding.
The film also introduces an important theme of masculinity. Brian Jardine is not really a man in the eyes of people like Leonor. Her husband is off in Africa being a nurse and she also views this as not manly enough, as he clearly does not provide. Yet, she really looks down on Brian, even telling him that his father thought the same and told her as much. Since Brian is a struggling actor, his psychotherapist wife is the breadwinner and pays for everything they own. Though Brian and his wife Kathy (Jennifer Ehle) are fine with the arrangement, the reversal of gender roles is a tough issue for many to accept and even Brian struggles. You can see that there is something within him that is bothered by this arrangement and a conversation with Leonor really brings it to light. Unfortunately, like many other things in the film, it is introduced and then taken away far too soon.
Little Men is an incredibly slight film. It is too short for the amount of themes it wants to and it approaches those themes tepidly. While it is well acted, the film simply never really does nearly enough with its characters or its themes to be anything more than an above average film with the potential to be better. That said, as a business major, I do appreciate that Sachs took care to not demonize the Jardine family for kicking out Leonor and her business. It is a business decision, pure and simple. I would evict her too.
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I liked the premise of the movie and was beautifully acted by the two young men playing the main parts. Have always been a fan of Greg Kinnear I also thought he done a decent job of playing the father. That being said it is a plain and simple movie based on life's ups and downs, bottom line is the word simple as it lost many opportunities to expand and develop the storyline even more. There were so many avenues it could have expanded upon including the relationship between the boys, the grandfathers death, their friends at school, the father's lack of a real job and support, and the list goes on. The movie leaves a lot up to you to digest and make your own conclusions including the abrupt ending.
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Production Company
Race Point Films,
Faliro House Productions,
Charlie Guidance Productions,
Buffalo 8 Productions,
Parts & Labor Films,
Raptor Films,
Water's End Productions,
RT Features,
Parts and Labor
Release Date Aug 5, 2016
Duration 1 h 25 m
Rating PG
Genres
Tagline Be on each other's side.
Website
http://www.littlemenfilm.com/
Awards
Chlotrudis Awards
• 6 Nominations
Berlin International Film Festival
• 2 Nominations
Film Independent Spirit Awards
• 2 Nominations
