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Directed by: Todd Field

Cast: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Gregg Edelman, Sadie Goldstein, Ty Simpkins, Noah Emmerich, Jackie Earle Haley, Phyllis Somerville

Runtime: 130 mins

At times we come across films that stuck between the universes of several films. They exhibit these traces because of the influences the directors draws from the movies he loves. In this case it is from two very remarkable films one his own In the Bedroom and the other is the funny yet poignant American Beauty. The film that you will watch is at times as shallow as American Beauty and at times as painful as Todd’s own film. The film revolves around a town that is filled with conservatism. But this is going to be short lived when we begin to explore the lives of three people.

The characters in this film are popular stalwarts of literature. But it’s the way effect crux of each other that makes this something to watch out for. Kate Winslet plays a housewife who is also English major and she has a great affinity to some of the most disgraced characters in the history of literature. She stirs up a lot of controversy after she kisses the new guy who comes to the town. It is from this point on that the film takes the plot turns that bring in the comedy and pathos in equal measure. She begins to have an affair with this man with the use of the children. The children in this movie are the ones who provide the necessary impetus for the story.

The third character in this movie is a pedophile who has been staying with his mother has not ventured out for a long time. He has been ostracized by the public who have sort of become wary of him. His performance in this movie is the one that almost steals the show from some of the veterans like Kate Winslet. One of the most memorable scenes is when he enters the pool where the children play and he watches their legs. The moment that Todd the director creates is astonishing. There is a lot of restrained freedom in his mannerism that makes so many of the scenes so defining.

Another interesting thing is the mood he creates for several scenes giving us a misfire at several points in the film. One of the many misdirected scenes is the Football matches the man has in the nights with some of the people in the neighborhood. These matches are created with a mood that is almost terrifying and at times triumphant. But finally this movie is not for those who don’t have an open mind about various issues because at times it can stretch a bit for some.

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