Jake (Theo Taplitz) is a quiet, sensitive middle schooler with
dreams of being an artist. He meets the affably brash Tony (Michael
Barbieri) at his grandfather's funeral, and the unlikely pair soon hit
it off. The budding friendship is put at risk, however, when a rent
dispute between Jake's father, Brian (Greg Kinnear), and Tony's mother,
Leonor (Paulina Garcia), threatens to become contentious.
Little
Men is a critical yet empathetic look at the dangers of gentrification.
Ira Sachs, director of Love Is Strange and the Sundance Grand Jury
Prize WinnerForty Shades of Blue, accentuates the natural vibrancy of
Brooklyn and brings out the best in his actors. Taplitz and Barbieri
have a natural rapport and earnestness that belies their young age.
Kinnear and Garcia bring weight to their roles as the feuding parents,
and Jennifer Ehle, Talia Balsam, and Alfred Molina round out the cast
with wonderful supporting turns. It's a triumphant return to the
Festival for Sachs, who has made a film that never lets its abundant
kindness interfere with its honest portrayal of a rapidly changing
neighborhood.