Little Sweetheart

(1989) Little Sweetheart PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

Adapted from the book, "The Naughty Girls" by Arthur Wise, written and directed by Anthony Simmons that has nine-year old turning ten, Thelma (Cassie Barasch) who lives near a beach with her mother and inspired photog older brother. There's a cafe nearby, but she rarely buys anything, and just goes there to watch as much violent tv as possible without paying. And one other thing I forgot to mention she has a smart mouth. When nine year old Thelma makes a new friend with another 9 year girl, Elizabeth (Ellie Raab) moving in right next to her. It is not long before another couple of John Hurt and Karen Young come by in search of an address which is coincidentally a beach house almost near Thelma's. And it is not long the mischievous of two 9 year old girls begin to happen, beginning with that idiot, Robert (John Hurt) buying Thelma a camera she asked for for her birthday, who would eventually take pictures of him even after she promise him she would "not" do. Taking pictures of him making out with his new mistress, Dorothea (Karen Young) while they were lying on the beach. The two brats would soon attempt to blackmail both Robert and his mistress, Dorothera for money unbeknownst to the brats that they were running from the law themselves for embezzlement. And it's like, it never occurred to Robert that who ever took pics of him making out with his mistress that perhaps it must be the girl that he bought the camera for on her birthday. And they do more mischievous by breaking into Robert and Dororthea's beach house uncovering a gun and so forth.

Just because it came from a book, it does not mean the movie is good as it lacks common sense and logic. Any young kid who is ungrateful as ten year old Thelma would have gotten the life choked out of her. I mean, Robert buys her a camera when no one else would, and she in turn thanks him by taking pictures of him when he told her not to. In this movie 'kids are rotten' like what comedian Bill Mahr often says- sarcastically speaking. Like, why would anyone would want kids after watching this film.

I saw this when it came out on TV, but didn't tape it then, and always wanted to see it again. I finally did only recently. I found that it held up very well, and now I would love to have it on DVD. It certainly has its flaws, for example, the made-for-TV budget is obvious, but the story is interesting, and the actors, first and foremost John Hurt, are engaging enough to make it stand out.

Who cares if the idea isn't completely new - which story is? LITTLE SWEETHEART is much more modern and suspenseful than BAD SEED (for example, the adult characters contribute more to the plot, and there is less analysis and moralism). Furthermore, I find the comparisons with LOLITA highly problematic: in contrast to Humbert Humbert, there is no reason to assume that Robert Burger (Hurt's character) has any paedophilic notions. If some people find the film fascinating in this way, I wonder how much is due to the film's portrayal of the girls, whether deliberate or not, and how much in the eye of the beholder. In any case, this is putting the film in the wrong category, at least in terms of subject matter.

Little Sweetheart is a thriller with a lot of problems. While the basic idea for the plot is good; the execution is rather uneven and many of the plot details don't hold up to close scrutiny in some cases; and outright don't follow any sort of logic in others. However, for me the film gets round all of its problems simply by being very entertaining for the entire duration. The idea of a child being immoral enough to commit murder purposely has surfaced occasionally in films ever since it was done brilliantly in 1956 with The Bad Seed; and generally it at least provides an interesting film. That is certainly the case here. This film focuses on a nine year old girl named Thelma. She is introduced to another girl her age, Elizabeth, when her parents move to the town Thelma lives in. Shortly thereafter, a couple turns up and Thelma takes an interest in them. The male half of the couple at first sees the girls as being rather cute and harmless; but this changes when the girls realise they can play the couple to their advantage.

Cassie Barasch takes the lead role and fully convinces with it. She always seems at home with the role and it's very easy to take her seriously as the young kid with an agenda. She is joined by Ellie Raab; who puts in a similarly effective portrayal, but the standout has to be John Hurt; who as usual delivers the standout performance. The film is always driven by the story rather than just the premise, and the drama is very character lead. Writer-director Anthony Simmons skilfully keeps the film interesting by constantly introducing new twists and ideas and never leaving the film long enough for it to get stale. Of course, the plot is rather unlikely (this is even acknowledged at one point in the film) but that never gets in the way too much and even the less likely elements of it never really throw a spanner into the works. The film flows well throughout, and boils down to a well orchestrated and suitable conclusion. This film is not an easy one to find; but its well worth seeking out if you enjoy entertaining thrillers.

This film is shot primarily upon St. George's Island, a resort site along Northern Florida's Gulf Coast, that becomes the transposed location from France in the original novel, of which only a basic outline has been retained. John Hurt portrays Robert Burger, a middle-aged bank employee who has embezzled over one million dollars and, along with his co-conspirator and girl friend Dorothea (Karen Young) is on the lam from Texas, and from his wife, with an idea of relaxing a bit on the island before continuing their flight. Unprovidentially for the renegade pair, they cross paths with two nine-year-old girls, one of whom, Thelma (Cassie Barasch), bristles with curiosity about the newcomers. Thelma is addicted to television and to the violent action she finds available there, and when she and her young friend Elizabeth (Ellie Raab) burglarize the cottage of the fugitives, Thelma steals Robert's revolver, whereupon her imagination becomes hazardous to all about her. Director Anthony Summers creates the script, and wherever a change is made from the plot of the admittedly third-rate novel, credibility goes begging, particularly when homage is being made to Kubrick's LOLITA in referential scenes not difficult to identify. His direction is weak, a source for those frequently occurring scenes when players are left upon their own, with Hurt improvising as always; yet, Guy Boyd as a sheriff is smooth and consistent as silk, easily regulating scenes in which he appears. A minimalist score, composed and performed by guitarist Laurence Juban, matches an obviously minimal budget, with Juban's suspended chords, particularly in the case of the main theme: "Oyster Blues", conjugating nicely with the palmetto plaited scenery. Cinematographer John Hooper's closeups help define this flawed but interesting piece, and he emphasizes the omnipresent gloss from the sun, making this perhaps a first example of a genre: Incandescent Noir.

Little Sweetheart also known as Poison Candy is the first feature film made for cinema release by the BBC. Its a little seen film and was released in the cinemas in America some years after it was made.

John Hurt and Karen Young are a couple who have embezzled money and hiding out in a coastal resort. They cross paths with two nine year-old girls who themselves have just met. We have already been introduced to Thelma (Cassie Barasch) who is blackmailing her older brother and is addicted to violence on television.

The other girl is Elizabeth (Ellie Raab) who has moved into the area. The girls burgle the couple's house and steal a gun. Later Elizabeth goes missing and the police become involved putting the errant couple in danger.

Despite the location filming this is a low budget morality tale and an insight on a girl who is sweet but beneath the surface is malevolent and might be willing to kill and frame others. John Hurt and Karen Young do well in this offbeat and little known film and the child actors carry of their roles with aplomb. Its a minor character study, lacking in strong direction with a minimalist score.