Little Criminals

This is a superbly directed and exceptionally well acted film. Though the subject matter is dark, it is tense, emotionally affecting and thought provoking. Child crime has never been dealt with in such a realistic manner outside of moralistic documentaries. This is an unblinking depiction of two boys denied what we might consider any vestige of childhood

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 of the most memorable film experiences I have ever witnessed. Myles Ferguson makes a promising debut.

The real star though, is eleven year old Brendan Fletcher who gives an unbelievable performance for one so young. I have worked with children like Des, and I cannot believe how accurately Fletcher portrays Des.

This one surely deserves a far wider audience and a global DVD release.

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.

Rarely do I find a film so moving!

This film had me in tears towards the end and I have had a life that began a bit like Des's so social dramas' etc don't really affect me as though it might some people who have lived privileged or comfortable lives because i analyse but don't often become emotional through watching a film like i did with this excellent creation from Stephen Surjik and its' writer Dennis Foon and i will be trying to contact them to tell them myself (Never felt like doing that before!).

I live in the UK and so my childhood didn't involve firearms, well not until I was 17 because they are quite rightly a lot harder to come by than in Canada, even then I discarded the pistol I brought after threatening somebody for running over a dog and would never own one again, I am now 39.

This film had so many other parallels though that it was almost traumatic to watch and see how it mirrored myself, it was definitely painful at times as my stomach felt like somebody had just kicked me in it. Because of that I would have to say that it is one of the most powerful films I have ever seen, period.

The ending is tragic because of the way he isolated his self from the only person he felt he could trust will leave many who can identify with the film, numb. It did me.

The character as myself was talented and probably very intelligent, I myself have an I.Q. of 142 but for years as a kid officials thought I was a retard and a write off because of the suffering in the familial environ and the fact I had disengaged and this comes through in the film when all the Police want to do is lock the little guy up but like all young kids, really needed to be understood not treated as though a criminal, as does the lack of permanence when he began to trust somebody when taken into care and although the film doesn't get into his future (I don't want to give too much away.) I know that is what it is like when one is moved through the care system and forming a bond in an environ where nobody actually cares that much at all as they are philanthropist, yes, but only doing a job at the end of the day, that betrayal and lack of permanent bonding with adults stays with you as a deep footprint. It is something that affected this lad, Des, profoundly when he wanted to stay where he had bonded with an adult he felt he could trust.

I highly recommend this film to anybody interested in socio-dynamics, especially because although set in Canada I can say the dynamics are universal because of the way it mirrored my own.

The guys who made this film did a really good job in hitting home subtleties in a powerful way.

To answer the previous review. Remember it? I shall find it hard to forget because in a way I lived it, even looked a bit like Des when i was a kid!!!

Sincerely.

Paul. AKA DELTAPAN