In this new crime thriller two LA cops attempt to track down a serial killer. That may be the synopsis of the film but the plot line goes a tad deeper. Sadly by digging deeper it also leaves a few unfilled holes along the way. You can’t beat this cast though, and writer/director John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) still gives us an intriguing and entertaining flick.
To be honest I might not even call them holes. Nothing is left out. Yes, there are some questions I would love to have answered but I am ok with those. I was mainly frustrated at how the characters progress rapidly with little or no viewer understanding. More than once I thought maybe I had missed a scene or string of dialogue. It just feels choppy.
What keeps this boat afloat on these choppy waters is the strong performances by three Oscar winning actors. Joe ‘Deke’ Deacon (Denzel Washington) is a deputy sheriff of a small county in CA. When he is sent to LA to pick up some evidence we learn more about his past. Once a top homicide detective he now gets side-eye glances and mis-trust hangs like a fog wherever he goes. Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) is a young hotshot detective assigned to a string of murders. He has heard of Deke and quickly seeks out his help. Their main suspect is Albert Sparma (Jared Leto) an odd, Manson family looking dude, who loves yanking their police chains.
The film is styled very well. It has the look and smell – if you could smell it – of those classic crime dramas. Set in the early 1990s it is not weighed down with technology and plausible electronics. There are long stakeouts, pay phones, and that unplugged feeling that is nice to see in films. The settings are gritty and the crimes stomach turning. There are large, gas guzzling cars, and seedy hotels. The 1990’s don’t feel that long removed but this film is a reminder of just how far we have come. Or seem to. Take away a cell phone and Google, and we are back in the dark ages.
If you approach this film from the mindset that it is more about the detectives and their journey more than the solving of one particular crime it works better. Honestly, I am trying to avoid talking about plot as much as possible. For one, I want you to discover all the twists and turns on your own. Mainly I want to avoid the frustration of trying to piece together what isn’t there. It is Ironic that a film called THE LITTLE THINGS would so blatantly miss some of those very elements that make a story cohesive. Watch it none the less. I am maybe being overly critical. I enjoyed it in the moment, it is only afterwards that I feel a tad cheated.
THE LITTLE THINGS is rated R for violent/disturbing images, language and full nudity
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