Little Criminals

I watched this movie years ago on channel four and it is still stuck in my brain. I'd love to see it again to see if it is as good as my memory tells me, I had it on tape and accidentally taped over it - I was gutted! I loved this film because it didn't shy away from it's theme and the actors were brilliant, especially Des. I loved the way that children were actually treated as interesting and detailed characters rather than sickly sweet cherubs. And lets not forget the kick ass soundtrack, it really helped to create the intense atmosphere. I remember being shocked, enthralled, disgusted, sad, excited, amazed, fascinated... This film had all the right ingredients to make it stand out in my mind both when I first watched it and still now.

This film considers people, most especially children, living at or beyond the margins of society. It is a worthy companion to Bunuel's "Los Olvidados". The central character, Des, is an 11 year old boy, the leader of a group of delinquents. From the outset, he is loathsome and (seemingly) without any redeeming value. The viewer's reaction to this character is disturbing; how can you hate an 11 year old. The story follows Des through one vicious episode after another. Slowly, ever so subtly, the little boy inside the monster is revealed, and circumstances which have created the monster examined.

The young man who plays Des is brilliant. It is impossible to look away from him, however horrific or painful his behavior. The supporting performances are also fine, especially the step father and social worker characters.

The screenplay is masterful; there is a rythm of explosive violence and anger mixed with small subtle hints of humanity that ultimately leaves the viewer moved in different, conflicting directions simultaneously. Ultimately, no pat answers are provided.

This is a disturbing movie. It should be seen.

Like many others I suspect, I was flipping channels when I caught 'Little Criminals' just a few minutes into it. I am not one to be mesmerised by idle amusements. If I am to be moved, I need to be unwittingly skewered by the art in question. And I don't hesitate to call this art. At the centre of the remarkable heft of this movie is the thing that initially grabbed me by my slacks from the start: the weight of the central child's performance. It's an astounding one. Fifteen seconds of it prevented me from absent mindedly flipping on. It's one of the most memorable performances I have ever seen, and the fact that it is a child delivering it soon leaves one's awareness as can only happen when watching the most truthful of actors.

It's the story of a child being raised in a rough neighbourhood without anyone to turn to for support or solidity, least of all his own mother. Initially the fact that such a menacing figure can come in the shape of an eleven year old catches off guard, but the performance is way more than the immature posturings of a brattish child actor. This one has real depth. As you delve deeper into his circumstances, you watch a broad palette paint a character with real pathos. His gang of lawless friends simply facilitate his escape from the inner demons he attempts to elude, but which he returns to as we all must, both within his soul and symbolically drawn on the wall of his little ritualistically kept hide-away. And as his life begins to spiral ever downwards, one attempts to blame many groups for such tragedy, parents, teachers, social services - but in the end, one knows that sometimes this is just the way life goes, that there are always those who get lost between the cracks.

The supporting cast do the main performance of the 'Des' character justice too, and there's an uncredited cameo by a pre-hype Sandra O which leaves me feeling that of all the low budget flicks struggling actors are forced to remember with irritation, for Sandra this is not one of them. It's sensitively directed and the soundtrack is an edgy alternative lineup with Portishead and Radiohead among others, echoing the troubled vibrations of the lost souls it accompanies.

See this film, it's like a beautiful album song that those who don't look very hard miss, and those who find add to their artistic shrine to themselves.

One evening, late Autumn 96 I sat back and causally channel surfed, I ended up on channel 4 (UK) where I was about to witness one of the best films of all time.

From our first introduction to Des, perfectly framed through the windshield shadowed by the angry tones for Violet I knew that this film was going to be something different from the usual TV movies.

The concept of someone hitting the downward spiral is oft covered by small and big budget alike, but to convey it from the eyes of a child, however dangerous on the outside, a sensitive messed up inner beauty is portrayed, a victim of his surroundings without the adult understanding to make sense of it all. Suddenly you realise that this kid who seems to be popular, connected and tough is far from it and is merely fitting the mould society has carved for him and when the pillars of his self, the shreds of normality that his world clings to are torn away he realises that the voices were right, he is alone, he is not special, and his time has run out.

We have see a roller coaster of emotions, with him reverting from adult to child but in the final scene, as the flames lick around him, distorting his treasured drawings, burning his forgotten sanctuary: we realise that there could be no other ending for him, or for the film - the trip hop pining of Portishead Roads that has haunted us throughout the film, reaches crescendo to add the final brevity.

The raw quality of this film and the depth of message is usually out of reach in a TV movie, but not his gem.

Watch it, remember it.

This movie came out a while ago, and I'm pretty sure it was made by the CBC. I only saw pieces of it then, but the images stuck in my memory for years until I saw it again on Showcase.

Really gritty movie that I'm glad has received an audience outside of just Canada. The kid's performance is mesmerizing and I enjoyed how a sympathetic angle was available, but not pushed. The ending to me was sad, despite how terrible the boy was, and is one of the images that sticks in my mind the most.

Anyone who feels that the younger generation is going to ruin the future, don't watch this film!! Like the "Thirteen," or "Kids," it's disturbing to watch people so young result to such drastic measures in life to feel accepted.