A Fraude

This movie shows what's great about film festivals. So many movies, and they're not tied down to every Hollywood cliché in the book.

The way Little Trip plays out is hard to describe. Forest Whitaker plays an insurance investigator, a company man. He comes to know Julia Stiles' character, a vulnerable housewife living with an unpredictable screw-up (Renner) on barren tundra.

The relationship between Stiles & Renner was intricate yet believable. And the relationship between Stiles & Whitaker is surprising. I didn't see the ending coming, which I appreciate always. I'm so tired of formulaic thrillers. This movie reminded me of movies from the 70's - the good old days when every plot point wasn't spoon fed. It has style and feeling like classics from that time too.

I got a chance to see this film in Toronto and I have to admit I've been thinking a lot about it since. Visually, it's so beautiful... and yet stark and haunting (apparently it was filmed in Iceland). But what I really found engaging was that it was a noir-esquire mystery but with a very realistic feel. When opportunities present themselves for the film to go down a formulaic road, it doesn't. There's something strangely real about the film, from the first-rate acting, to the dark tone, to the deliberate pace... I think the director's decision to give this film dramatic weight will set it apart from other mystery/thrillers (I feel weird even trying to categorize it). Maybe it's just me, but I can't stop thinking about it.

After a suspicious fatal car accident in Hastings where the identity of the victim was forged, the Quality Life insurance company sends their smart investigator Abe Holt (Forrest Whitaker) to identify the body. The unique beneficiary of the one million dollars death benefit is the sister of the victim, Isold (Julia Stiles), who lives with her son Thor and her husband Fred (Jeremy Renner) in a poor cabin in the middle of nowhere. Along the investigation, Abe discloses the truth about the fraud, but feels sorry for Isold and Thor and tries to help them with tragic consequences.

"Little Trip to Heaven" has a good premise, showing both sides of the insurance policies, with some fraudulent cases of clients and questionable procedures of the companies themselves. The story is good, with a suspenseful atmosphere in a dramatic and tense situation. In spite of the very disappointing conclusion, this movie worth watching. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Fraude" ("The Fraud")

i have to say that this was a well acted, very well directed little offering, i would like to have seen more of Peter Coyote as i thought he portrayed the part of the Investigator with relish, and seemed to revel in ensuring people did not receive their full benefits. the whole feel to the film was dark, brooding and you always felt that things could not get any worse for Mr. Renner & Ms. Stiles, but it did. i suppose people will feel this is to dark for their tastes, but these are the dramas that make compelling viewing. Forest Whitaker does a good job and displays a determination to resolve the case that if were true to life, with the income he displayed within his character, i am not sure would be there?

i notice a lot of 10/10's for this movie and think this is unwarranted, but having said that this was a worthwhile effort and should be seen.

I went into this screening without any prior knowledge of the film, and I was pleasantly surprised. Well acted and well directed, this is a more mature and deeper "thriller" than we're accustomed to. The story is compelling with enough twists and turns to keep one interested, but what was really riveting was the fact that the movie wraps up neatly but in a thought provoking way, unlike so much predictable Hollywood fluff nowadays. It is a thinking person's film and I appreciated that.

One other thing I wanted to note on was the tone: dark, bleak, isolated, and barren. From the acting to the cinematography, the director really nailed this feeling in everything from the characterizations to the visuals. Just something I really noticed.