Two that I Missed...Until Now

I'm sure you'll have to search pretty hard to find someone else who reviews and Snakes on a Plane and Little Children in the same review. I missed them both in their initial theatrical runs, but I had a chance to catch them both this weekend.

Snakes on a Plane is generally not my kind of film. The horror genre is the one that I avoid for many reasons. Mostly, though, they just don't interest me. The last horror film I saw was 28 Days Later (partially) and before that, Blair Witch Project. My need to participate in a cultural phenomenon supersedes my dislike of the genre, so I needed to see Snakes at some point. And now I have. Don't lose all respect for me, but...I didn't hate it.

To be sure, Snakes on a Plane is not a good movie. But it is a decent movie for those of us who don't particularly like horror films. It's totally far fetched, but it's easy to go along for the ride. The humor is more effective than the horror, and you have to give the creative team snaps for finding creative ways to expose naughty bits to the snakes on the plane. And the film wisely stays away from the horror-porn that is typical of the genre right now. Sure, Samuel Jackson and Julianna Margulies are slumming, but they also help elevate the film into something a little more interesting. And there were fleeting moments when I actually felt a little something for the characters.

If Snakes on a Plane is an internet-fueled curiosity, Little Children is the kind of film that pops up below the radar and stays with you a long. long time. Little Children tackles the issue of loneliness that comes from a troubled marriage. This happens in the context of a registered sex offender that moves into the neighborhood, where Patrick Wilson and Kate Winslet are the the primary caregivers of their 3-year-olds. Both have been largely unsuccessful in their own lives and are needier than what their partners are providing. Thus, they end up in a relationship of great intensity and satisfaction. Will they end up together? Can they?

The film is not without its problems, and the elements don't always end up in a clear whole. The acting does elevate the film. Wilson and Winslet give great performances, supported by equally strong performances from Jennifer Connelly and Jackie Earle Haley.

There's a lot to dwell on here. Since it was released theatrically, friends have been asking me whether I've seen it yet. Now I have. It makes sense that people want to talk about it. Part of the reason is that it raises issues that we all deal with and handles them in very compelling ways. Still, though, Little Children is not quite satisfying in that it gives us two lead characters who are largely aimless (he continues to take and fail the bar exam, she never finishes her dissertation) and fall into and maintain their relationship the same way.