Little Men

"The neighborhoods changing." Brian Jardine (Kinnear) is a struggling actor who has just lost his father. He heads to Brooklyn for the funeral and to deal with his fathers estate. He discovers that a small business was costing his father money, and is unable to continue the same deal. This causes tension with him and the owner of the business, which is further enhanced by the fact that Brian's son and the son of the owner are best friends. This is a really good movie that makes you think. You really struggle to decide who is in the right and can see both sides equally. The dynamic of the adults and the kids relationships are really fleshed out and are the true heart of the movie. That said, the movie could have been really good but it stayed a little monotone and the end just kind of happened. When you watch this you will see what I mean. Overall, the acting and writing are good, but it felt a little flat at some parts and really just came to an abrupt end, which hurt the movie a little bit. I disappointingly give this a B-.

Greetings again from the darkness. There is a lot going on in this latest from writer/director Ira Sachs, and every bit of it provides some commentary on the basic everyday life struggles faced by normal folks. There is also a continuation of the ongoing NYC vs Brooklyn "friendly competition", as well a reminder of the downside of gentrification.

Mr. Sachs and his frequent collaborator and co-writer Mauricio Zacharias kick off the story with Greg Kinnear's Brian awkwardly exchanging greetings with Paulina Garcia' s (so terrific in Gloria, 2013) Leonor while the son's of these two share an equally awkward meeting. Leonor is the long-time tenant in the dress shop located below the apartment where Brian's recently deceased father resided.

Jake (Theo Tapitz) is an aspiring artist who doesn't easily make friends. Tony (Michael Barbieri) is a brash, fast-talking kid who is a bit more street wise and outgoing. The two boys quickly bond … while at the same time, the parents begin a quiet battle. Brian's sister (played by Talia Balsam) demands her fair share of their father's estate through higher rent on Leonor's dress shop. It turns out their dad never raised the rent despite the number of years and the developing neighborhood. Kinnear's wife Kathy (the underrated Jennifer Ehle) tries to play peace-keeping negotiator so that the boys' friendship is not affected. As is often the case, the kids handle the situation better than the adults.

The film's best scenes feature the two young boys … a blossoming childhood friendship that is all too rare on the big screen. If the boys weren't so severely impacted, the adult interactions could almost be white noise. Themes of money vs love, greed vs emotion, as well as recurring and various instances of rejection, all play a part in this multi-faceted story. Examples of rejection include a girl rejecting a boy, Brian's rejection as an actor, and the multiple rejections in the negotiations for the shop. Mr. Sachs has a real knack for putting real people in real situations that result in difficult decisions.

All of the acting is top notch, including Alfred Molina in a small role as Leonor's attorney and adviser. But it's the boys – Tapitz and especially Barbieri – that elevate the film. Watching the boys grow closer despite the all-too-close conflicts reminds a bit of the friendships in Rob Reiner's classic Stand By Me. Young Mr. Tapitz already has a few short films under his belt as a director, and Mr. Barbieri is certain to get many more opportunities to flash his on screen talent.

There are three main types of movies, good ones, bad ones and ones that are overlooked by the public. Yes, it is not a masterpiece and has flaws, but still I enjoyed watching this and I was shocked to see the IMDb rating and the box office result. Though independent movies like this don't make much back it still should of made it's 2 million budget. The performance were almost all good, with the exception of a few, it was well paced so I could truly experience the chemistry growth between the two children who come from two entirely different backgrounds.

To conclude it is an underrated movie that brings out a range of emotions, but yes it is not perfect.

I feel like this film was kind of marketed as a comedy, and perhaps that's why the seriousness of the situation at the core of the film really surprised me. It's not that the film is a tragedy, but instead it takes an honest and very real look at these kinds of situations. It's a very carefully and deliberately paced film, and the director has a great handle of the film's tone and atmosphere and is able to really bring the dramatic beats of the story to life. The ensemble cast also seems to have a great handle on the material, never overplaying or underplaying the situation to become unbelievable or become a melodrama. I definitely recommend this and I think it really gives a fascinating portrayal of family and the bonds that exist and how real life can get in the middle of that.

Trying to find balance between family and legal though well intended can be a useless fight. Both are strong, even friendship as seen in this movie but when legal system enters the picture it actions a full stop which can be painful.

Despite this, with strong families their is endurance which I think Jake in this movie achieved.

It was interesting to see this in movie format. Acting was well done.

Difficult at times to watch life, friendships change but no less true. Thankfully the movie isn't long otherwise it would be too laborous for viewers.

In conclusion a movie I think to watch when in a mood for charisma & temporary sadness.