In the first scene 13-year-old Jake learns that his grandfather Sal has died. Jake and his parents, Brian and Kathy, subsequently move into Sal's 2nd story Brooklyn apartment. Below the apartment is a dress shop that is a one-person show run by seamstress Leonor Calvelli. A close friendship develops between Leonor's son Tony and Jake. Michael Barbieri's performance as Tony is captivating-- who wouldn't like this boisterous and guileless youth? Jake is more reserved and quiet. Bonding between complimentary personality types can be intense, particularly between young teens like Tony and Jake. There are some wonderful scenes that show how Jake and Tony delight in just being together, like a scene that follows them along a sidewalk with Jake on skates and Tony on a bicycle. That scene is augmented by a score that perfectly captures the carefree emotion. Relationships like Jake and Tony's are more common than are treated in film and literature I think, particularly between boys. Two examples that come to mind are the relationship between Jean and Julien in the movie "Au Revoir Les Enfants" and between Gene and Phineas in the novel "A Separate Peace."Just following the interactions of these young boys would probably not provide enough drama to sustain a full length movie, but I do wish that there had been more time devoted to their endearing relationship before the drama came from the interactions between the adults. Brian's sister Audrey was set on getting more rent money from Leonor and Audrey and Kathy put the heat on Brian to deal with Leonor on the matter. Leonor is just barely making it and would be forced out of her shop, and likely winding up in a sweatshop, if having to fork over more rent. When Jake and Tony understand what is going on they see that their friendship is threatened. Brian is squeezed from four directions--his wife, his sister, his renter, and his son. This is one of those situations that make you ask what you would have done in his situation. I came to view Brian as a wimp, since I think there were options where all the emotional damage could have been avoided. Instead of being dismissed out of hand, Jake made a suggestion that I thought should have been seriously considered. As is, there will be a permanent rift between Brian, his sister, his wife, and his son.I am not sure whether there was any intended implication that Jake may be gay, but the scene at the dance where Tony pursued a girl while Jake withdrew to himself would hint at that. Also when some of Tony's friends taunted him about his relationship with Jake not being strictly platonic, Tony went on the attack.There are lots of themes that bubble up in this seemingly simple movie-- class, race, family dynamics, the downside of capitalism, and not taking the thoughts and emotions of young adults as seriously as deserved. A final scene that has Jake looking across an atrium to see Tony, without any attempt to connect, is symbolic of the divide that separated them. But I was disappointed that Jake did not have the courage to take an opportunity to reconnect with Tony. I could see no reason why the two boys could not renew their friendship after the storm had blown over.

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.

"The neighborhoods changing." Brian Jardine (Kinnear) is a struggling actor who has just lost his father. He heads to Brooklyn for the funeral and to deal with his fathers estate. He discovers that a small business was costing his father money, and is unable to continue the same deal. This causes tension with him and the owner of the business, which is further enhanced by the fact that Brian's son and the son of the owner are best friends. This is a really good movie that makes you think. You really struggle to decide who is in the right and can see both sides equally. The dynamic of the adults and the kids relationships are really fleshed out and are the true heart of the movie. That said, the movie could have been really good but it stayed a little monotone and the end just kind of happened. When you watch this you will see what I mean. Overall, the acting and writing are good, but it felt a little flat at some parts and really just came to an abrupt end, which hurt the movie a little bit. I disappointingly give this a B-.

This film is a joy. I'm a long way from age 13, but this film reminded me of the ups and downs of teenage relationships. Two boys, one shy, one feisty thrown together by circumstance. They form a strong bond just as their respective parents grow apart. The boys don't have the emotional experience to understand the reasons why there is a rift between their respective parents. They resort to childish ploys to restore the status quo. Clearly this doesn't work. I won't give away the ending. But please go and see this film for the two outstanding performances from the two boys. Just breathtaking. And familiar. And a brilliant light touch from the director. I just want to see it again.