Little Boy Blue

I must admit that I am not a real big fan of Ryan Phillippe, but he really surprised me in this film. Instead of just standing there, looking pretty, he was allowed to *GASP!* act! Phillippe did a convincing job, too, as did all the other cast members (even down to the young children).

This movie had many plot twists, which was thoroughly enjoyable. It wasn't easy to figure out. The end leaves you hanging, causing you to think about what happens. It is quite an intelligent film, and I would definitely recommend seeing it.

A brilliant job of tying together a complicated group of characters. Ryan Phillippe was brilliant and for his age shows great talent. The approach to each and every delicate situation was handled with tact and tastefully clarified at just the right moment.

The primary problem with most non-mainstream films is that they fail to adhere to some of the basic cinematic elements that make films work. True, they are often interesting and provocative, but they fail in the larger sense that the film itself (not just the subject matter or content) fails to succeed for viewers.

That is not the case with "Little Boy Blue." For once, a novel premise and provocative content combine in a well-written screenplay that leaves the viewer fulfilled instead of disappointed. This film far exceeded my expectations in all areas, including the believable yet powerful acting in all of the major characters.

My major problem with the film was that the early part of the film didn't deal with (or even allude to) the overriding premise that really comes to light in the final third of the film. Additionally, the Doris Knight characterization seemed a bit unstable and her motivation in the final scenes is hard to pin down.

Still, a highly recommended film.

This "sleeper" is a masterfully done, complex drama. The story unfolds slowly at first, and the relationships among the characters remain somewhat ambiguous during the first part of the movie. However, once the plot starts to unravel, the film becomes a compelling mystery, revealing only hints of the true horror that propels the action. This is probably Phillippe's best work as an actor; he is given the chance to act--and not simply stand around and look pretty--and he is quite good. Savage and Kinski also deliver powerful performances. You'll probably have no trouble finding this one at the video store, since it didn't get much publicity. But it's definitely worth watching.

Little Boy Blue is a drama set in a small town in southern USA. You will recognize the landscape and the usual sleazy bar. But there it'll stop.

It the center of the story stands Jimmy who is going to move away from his father he doesn't get along with (and even doesn't know.), his mother that he's very attached to. And his two younger brothers that he's in many ways a guardian to.

That are really good performances in this film, not only from the three leads. Jimmy's brothers are very impressive, I think it's quite unusual to see child actors in American films to act this natural.

It's really nice to have Nastassja Kinski back as a big name again, so she can show what a talented actress she is.

John Savage, who's career in many ways is reminiscent of Kinski's, does a performance somewhere between Marlon Brando and Gary Busey.

(Note: Kinski and Savage also acted together in _Maria's Lovers (1984_(qv).)