Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

merklekranz Some people need total control of everything and everyone in their lives. When they fail to enforce their will, these individuals lash out in anger, torment, or aggression. "The Fat" could be the poster child for such outrageous behavior. Daniel Benzali has played the heavy many times before (see "Suckers"), but his performance in "All the Little Animals" is pure evil, and reason alone to seek this film out. John Hurt and Christian Bale give fine performances, but it is Benzali who makes the movie memorable. The film is highly original, deliberately paced, and the ending is extremely satisfying. Highly recommended. - MERK

fertilecelluloid Christian Bale plays Bobby, a simple, mildly retarded man who is being bullied into signing away his inheritance (after his beloved mother dies) by his frightening, violent, bully of a stepfather, "The Fat", played with chilling authenticity by Bernard De Winter. Refusing to submit to his revolting stepfather's demands, Bobby runs away and meets Mr. Summers (John Hurt), an eccentric conservationist who has devoted his life to burying roadkill. The two men form a strong, platonic bond and spend their days on the road doing their special work. Jeremy Thomas's amazing film, which is impossible to categorize, is full of rich and sinister surprises. Once Bobby and Mr. Summer's idyllic existence in Cornwall is established, the rug is pulled, and we are plunged into a sadistic hell with them that is almost unbearable to watch at times. Bale, one of the best actors going, is extraordinary as Bobby, and makes us care so much for his unfortunate dilemma. De Winter is simply terrifying as the heavy-set villain of the piece, and brings an authenticity to his portrait of a sociopath that is so, so rare. Hurt, rarely seen on screen these days, doesn't put a foot wrong, either. The editing is a little disjointed at times, giving the impression that it is papering over a lack of coverage, but this minor issue is more than compensated for by the sheer originality and strength of the material. A real find.

Libretio ALL THE LITTLE ANIMALS Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (2.35 Research)Sound format: Dolby DigitalUntil it takes a darker turn during its latter stages, there's a quiet dignity at the heart of this unusual drama, the directorial debut of producer Jeremy Thomas, based on a novel by Walker Hamilton. Christian Bale - a long way from EMPIRE OF THE SUN and two years from American PSYCHO - plays a mentally impaired young man who runs away from his creepy stepfather (Daniel Benzali) in the wake of his mother's death and ends up in Cornwall, where he befriends an eccentric hermit (John Hurt) whose fondness for animals strikes a healing chord within Bale's damaged psyche. Together, they set out to bury the dead creatures they find around their ramshackle home in the forest, many of them killed by traffic on lonely country roads.Characterized by its magical performances (Bale is utterly convincing as the 10 year old boy trapped in a 25 year old's body) and eye-popping, panoramic vistas of the English landscape, the film offers a gentle reminder of mankind's place in the natural scheme of things, though Thomas makes his point without stooping to preachiness or obvious metaphors. In an amusing turnabout from standard Hollywood practices, this UK-lensed film features an American actor (Benzali) playing a Brit villain, the catalyst for a late-breaking plot development which some may find overly melodramatic. By turns humane, frightening and beautiful, this isn't a movie for all tastes, but adventurous viewers will be rewarded for their patience. A possible cult in the making.

DorsiaRes i was expecting this to be an awful movie but it sounded interesting so i watched it anyway. i was pleasantly surprised and never bored... i thought the acting was excellent, christian bale and john hurt are great in their roles. the thing i like about bale's character is the fact that he's not overtly "mentally disabled" but instead, it's very subtle. i thought that the love and respect for animals that they both shared was beautiful and the people that REALLY need to see this movie are ones that feel they're superior to animals. no, we never get close to the animals themselves but we can still feel for them. i don't think there's anything ridiculous about mr. summers wanting to bury roadkill, afterall - would you leave a PERSON out in the open after they'd been killed for all to see? no, and even though mr. summers doesn't care for humans much, we can still see he's a caring person on the inside. he respects life and is upset with humans for thinking that they're the only ones that matter.i can't believe people bash this movie, i didn't find ANYTHING wrong with it!