Today there are few American writers who consistently churn out scripts that can be classified as true art films. Ira Sachs is one such writer; with his sensitive eye, he manages to observe true to life characters and present their conflicts in a non-bombastic manner. In the past Sachs has focused on exclusively gay protagonists, but they always have reflected universal themes. Such was the case with his last film, the excellent "Love is Strange," where two middle-aged gay men are forced to live apart after they lose their apartment under unfortunate circumstances.
Little Men, a lower stakes effort in comparison to Love is Strange, focuses on a friendship between two pre-pubescent boys that is also threatened by unfortunate circumstances, albeit of a much different variety. When the Jardine family consisting of Brian (Greg Kinnear), a not too successful actor, his wife Kathy (Jennifer Ehle), a psychotherapist and family bread-winner, along with their son, 13 year old Jake (Theo Taplitz), a soft-spoken aspiring artist/illustrator, move into an apartment in Brooklyn after inheriting it from Brian's recently deceased Dad, Brian is forced to make a difficult decision regarding Leonor (Paulina Garcia), who rented store space from Brian's dad way below market price.
Leonor also has a 13 year old son, Tony (Michael Barbieri), who immediately bonds with Jake. The aforementioned friendship is threatened when Brian is forced to ask Leonor to pay a much higher rent. Leonor unreasonably feels that since she had a close relationship with Brian's Dad, Brian should cut her some slack. Meanwhile, Brian's sister is also pressuring him to demand that Leonor start paying closer to market rent.
The bulk of Act 2 chronicles Jake and Tony's relationship as well as how Brian must explain to Jake why he's putting pressure on Leonor. In addition to the unique narrative regarding the rent dispute, the father- son interactions are a cautionary tale for any young person who believes life follows a pre-determined script and there are no bumps in the road.
Little Men isn't as strong when it comes time to wrap things up. In a sense, Sachs becomes boxed in by his story since it's a little too true to life. As you might guess, Leonor ends up with no more cards to play and is forced to give up the store. That of course leads to the dissolution of Tony and Jake's friendship. I kind of wanted to know what happened to Leonor but Sachs chooses not to go into that. We're left with Tony and Jake, both now attending LaGuardia High School but no longer friends or interacting with one another. On a hopeful note, Jake appears to pursue his artistic career despite earlier self-doubts.
In the end, the story of the short-lived burgeoning relationship between Tony and Jake is a low-stakes exercise. When Sachs dealt with the separation of two long-time gay lovers in Love is Strange, that was ultimately a tragedy. Here, Tony and Jake knew each other for such a short time, and their ultimate separation strikes one as something that doesn't appear too crushing. Nonetheless, with some great acting from all the principals, and an original plot, Sachs manages to keep us pretty much absorbed until the end. If the stakes are indeed minor, the entire piece is still conveyed in a sophisticated and enlightening way.
Little Men, a lower stakes effort in comparison to Love is Strange, focuses on a friendship between two pre-pubescent boys that is also threatened by unfortunate circumstances, albeit of a much different variety. When the Jardine family consisting of Brian (Greg Kinnear), a not too successful actor, his wife Kathy (Jennifer Ehle), a psychotherapist and family bread-winner, along with their son, 13 year old Jake (Theo Taplitz), a soft-spoken aspiring artist/illustrator, move into an apartment in Brooklyn after inheriting it from Brian's recently deceased Dad, Brian is forced to make a difficult decision regarding Leonor (Paulina Garcia), who rented store space from Brian's dad way below market price.
Leonor also has a 13 year old son, Tony (Michael Barbieri), who immediately bonds with Jake. The aforementioned friendship is threatened when Brian is forced to ask Leonor to pay a much higher rent. Leonor unreasonably feels that since she had a close relationship with Brian's Dad, Brian should cut her some slack. Meanwhile, Brian's sister is also pressuring him to demand that Leonor start paying closer to market rent.
The bulk of Act 2 chronicles Jake and Tony's relationship as well as how Brian must explain to Jake why he's putting pressure on Leonor. In addition to the unique narrative regarding the rent dispute, the father- son interactions are a cautionary tale for any young person who believes life follows a pre-determined script and there are no bumps in the road.
Little Men isn't as strong when it comes time to wrap things up. In a sense, Sachs becomes boxed in by his story since it's a little too true to life. As you might guess, Leonor ends up with no more cards to play and is forced to give up the store. That of course leads to the dissolution of Tony and Jake's friendship. I kind of wanted to know what happened to Leonor but Sachs chooses not to go into that. We're left with Tony and Jake, both now attending LaGuardia High School but no longer friends or interacting with one another. On a hopeful note, Jake appears to pursue his artistic career despite earlier self-doubts.
In the end, the story of the short-lived burgeoning relationship between Tony and Jake is a low-stakes exercise. When Sachs dealt with the separation of two long-time gay lovers in Love is Strange, that was ultimately a tragedy. Here, Tony and Jake knew each other for such a short time, and their ultimate separation strikes one as something that doesn't appear too crushing. Nonetheless, with some great acting from all the principals, and an original plot, Sachs manages to keep us pretty much absorbed until the end. If the stakes are indeed minor, the entire piece is still conveyed in a sophisticated and enlightening way.