The Little Things

 

Gillipedia Official Rating: Watching a big movie on a little screen

          We start off on a single-lane, deserted road at night in 1990. We meet a seasoned cop who hasn’t been promoted in years, and his path crosses with the fresh detective who brings some bright ideas. We’ve seen this before. It’s not quite film noir, and its pacing is too slow to consider it a thriller. What The Little Things boils down to is a slow-burning, grim crime drama of two cops trying to pin down a serial killer focused on young women. And despite this well-worn premise, we’re also graced by three Academy award winners in Denzel, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto. So where does this film land? Let’s break it down.

          What better place to start than with the title. Is it fitting? Yes. But it’s also not enticing or memorable. I had been looking forward to this movie coming out for about a month now, and up until a couple days ago, I could never remember what the name was. It was just the one with Denzel coming up. And as far as story goes, the first paragraph is really all you need to know. Because part of what the title of the film does well is fit the narrative. We can immediately grasp the movie and the characters in the first 10 minutes; there’s a serial killer, Denzel is a well-known cop with some sort of past following him, and Rami is the new face of the department. There’s more to these characters than that, but we don’t learn it through lazy exposition like two no-named characters discussing them while sipping coffee or a news reporter catching us up on the latest with the case—nothing like that. Most of the pieces to the jigsaw puzzle will be discovered, but they are introduced in character details and small chunks.

          And really this film is ultimately much more of a trio of character studies than it is about the crime mystery. That’s where having three Oscar winners come in handy. Whether it’s Denzel displaying huge smiles in front of people while hiding his demons only for himself while spending the night in a cheap motel, the inquisitive way Rami tilts his head and makes eye contact with witnesses and suspects alike, or the wide swinging motion Jared Leto takes as he strolls through town; each character comes into their own in large part due to these performances. Jared Leto plays the main suspect, and once he is introduced in the film, he draws lots of attention. I think he probably had the least amount of acting to do considering how strange this guy is in at least the interviews he gives; however, his mannerisms are brilliant. I won’t go into detail about his character, but I was audibly chuckling multiple times; Jared Leto was in control.

          Strange jawline and all, Rami Malek really shows his range from Freddie Mercury to this detective. There’s a suaveness there, but it’s backed up by his true skill in his profession. I wouldn’t say he’s the standout of the group, but he gets his moments and always holds his own.

          Denzel. This man could lead me underwater and still convince me that I can breathe. I could ask him to show me where the milk is, and he could lead me down aisle 12 to the toilet paper and it would be considered a job well done. I could call in tech support for my Wi-Fi, and he could tell me to turn it off and back on and I would slow clap him for days. The point is this might not be the vehicle that lands him next to Jack Nicholson in Chinatown, but there’s no doubt that he elevates this film. The subtlety, the little things if you will, are there, and it works.

          I want to make sure everyone considering watching this film is aware that it’s not a jolly green giant film, and there’s definitely not enough action to call this a thriller. It’s a gritty character study, and if you’re good with that, then I do indeed recommend watching. The score by Thomas Newman is great, and the editing is terrific. “Gasp!” you say. “Gill, there aren’t any long one-take shots. You *love* your one-take shots. And even without those, you still think this film has great editing?” First off, thank you for the question, loyal reader. You’re right. I do have a soft spot for that kind of thing. But it’s not always necessary. There’s a couple of scenes of people either being chased or followed in car. The film perfectly switches between cars, what’s happening around them, and reaction shots from characters’ faces. We are perfectly able to follow what’s going on, and how each character reacts to every new action. I don’t think people will pay much attention to it, and that’s partly the point. Aside from the performances, I can’t give enough praise to the editing. But the directing and music are high points too.

          With their deal with Warner Bros., this blog site pretty much is turning into a review site for HBO Max movies. We have Godzilla vs. Kong and the Snyder Cut both coming up pretty soon to look forward to for instance. But I digress. The Little Things is a patient 2-hour film. It won’t be sweeping any awards shows, but I do fully expect it to receive multiple nominations, and it should. Despite the familiarities of the genre, it is simply well executed. And I am thoroughly satisfied with its hard-hitting ending. It may not have served the marketing department well, but the film lives up to its name.

 

In Brief:

• I considered doing a review for One Night in Miami. Simply didn’t feel I had enough content and different angles to warrant one. While watching the film I thought to myself that it would work better as a play; turns out that’s what it was in its original medium. It’s a good movie, and I’m fan of everything Aldis Hodge does. Well acted, might earn a nomination or two, but I wasn’t blown away.
• I was blown away by The Outpost. An action film released on Netflix had no right being as good as it was. Starring Katy Perry’s husband and Clint Eastwood’s son, it’s a war film about an American base in Afghanistan in a terrible location that gets attacked by the Taliban on a daily basis. The way the film was shot and the authenticity and respect for the real-life soldiers being portrayed really shone through. Yes, it lacks a little dramatic heft, but it fulfills its purpose in spades.
• I was interested in Disney’s new animated film coming out Raya and the Last Dragon. I was excited for a moment seeing its March release date and being put on Disney+. But then I realized that it would be like Mulan, and that disappointed me for a bit. No way am I paying $30 or whatever it will be to stream it. But if it is like Mulan, I will not mind one bit to wait a couple of months to stream it for free on the site.
• I watched Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma. It’s a good movie, and the way it’s filmed is interesting. It takes the perspective of a background I know little about. So for that in itself I can appreciate it. And one of the climactic scenes on the beach is stunning. But like many critical darlings, it’s also just… not always interesting. But yeah, it’s good. Can’t deny that.
• Really liked Outlaw King starring Chris Pine. Wish it had a wide release in theaters because that would’ve been a spectacle. Its opening scene is awesome, and the battles are thrilling and quite gruesome. It also has a pre-Midsommar Florence Pugh, so the film gets credit for that.

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