The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
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Movie Reviews of The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
Movie Review: "None of your little tricks...."
Summary: 4 Stars
What a bizarre and frequently astonishing little thriller this is.
Unlike a lot of the reviewers here, I'd never seen this before. But I do know a lot of people who had seen it on TV growing up and their enthusiasm made me curious.
Now I understand. Though sometimes tonally uneven, this is a captivating little puzzler that somehow combines elements of 70s afterschool specials, Roald Dahl, Poe, low-budget horror and a single-set stage play... with apparent nods to Pinter and Orton.
A young Jodie Foster (at roughly the same age as when she played Iris in "Taxi Driver") stars as a teenaged girl attempting to conceal from the world that she's an orphan living alone. Her obvious intelligence and uncanny maturity shield her nicely from most adults (she loves Emily Dickinson and Chopin and is teaching herself Hebrew) but then she's set upon by a pushy, presumptuous landlady and by the landlady's lecherous son, a turtleneck-clad mama's boy played by a stark Martin Sheen (not long after he made "Badlands").
What happens next needs to be seen with as little advance knowledge as possible. And though the dialogue and music sometimes shift into melodrama ("Don't ever leave," the 13-year-old girl tells her new boyfriend, an amateur magician), the shifts almost seem intentional, a means of making the twists that much more surprising and unsettling.
This is a strange and cool little movie, a true underseen sleeper, occasionally quite shocking and a perfect example of a film that arrived far, far ahead of its time.
Movie Review: A Captivating Tale with a Lingering Eerie Atmosphere...
Summary: 4 Stars
Jodie Foster began her acting career at the age of two making commercials while she entered the television drama scene a few years later. Her big break emerged when she received a spot in Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976), as she performed the part of the teen prostitute Iris. It was a part that received an Oscar nomination 1977. The same year Taxi Driver was released another film surfaced where she had the role of the story's protagonist. It was titled, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, where she portrays the tough and independent 13-year old Rynn, a poet's daughter, who lives in a leased house all by herself. Again, she performs brilliantly, however, this part did not land her any Oscars, but she had the opportunity to polish her talent with Martin Sheen performing against her.
The low rays of the fall sunset reflect off the New England seashore waves, as the camera smoothly pans to the right in the opening scene. Together with the beach, Foster's character emerges in full contrasting figure due to the daylight's reflection bouncing of the water. Rynn stops and stares out over the water, as if she were looking for something, maybe an answer, or for help. In either case, the scene provides some insight to Rynn's character's thoughtful persona and the ambiguousness atmosphere that later appears in the film. Her solitary presence on the beach also gives a conceptual idea of her position in society, as she lives in a small leased without anyone caring for her.
Quickly after the opening credits the story jumps into the middle of the story, as Rynn celebrates her own thirteenth birthday on Halloween night. If this does not evoke any kind of anticipation, the audience might not be aware of the American culture, or the neglectful abuse parents accomplish by neglecting a child's birthday. Nonetheless, Rynn goes about her business, as if she did not expect anything else. The isolated seclusion and loneliness of Rynn immediately wins over the audience to her side, as the audience does not know what to expect form the story. Consequently, someone is knocking on the door and it is Frank (Martin Sheen), a lone trick-or-treating adult. The initial meeting between Rynn and Frank delivers a significantly tense moment, which intensifies when Frank snoops around in the cottage and asks about the father's whereabouts. It is clear that Frank knows something, but what we never find out. However, his presence augments the audience's favorable feelings toward Rynn, as her vulnerability increases with the pedophilic tendencies of Frank.
The story in itself focuses on the father, who obviously never emerges, as Rynn repeatedly lies about his location to all that ask. Through clever camera use, the audience learns about secretively guarded secret that Rynn hides. The secret seems to hide in the basement, as Rynn works hard on keeping the nosy people from her house, including Frank and the owner. The secrecy within the film enhances the apprehension in regards to Rynn. It is obvious that something is wrong, and the initial positive mind-set toward Rynn begins to rumble. The ambiguous nature of the story brings forth an intriguing notion in regards to human nature that humans often have more than the image that they attempt to portray to the people in the social setting.
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane is a highly atmospheric story much due to a combination between the cinematography, scene framing, score, and the performances by the cast, which all helps strengthen the secrecy and suspense within the film. The director Nicholas Gessner's delicate handling of taboo issues also increases the uncertainty that seems to linger in the air, as the audience never knows what will happen next. It shows that Gessner has a brilliant eye on how to build up a solid thriller, however, after having seen the film it feels like there is something significant missing. The film strongly flirts with the audience's anticipation, but it never delivers anything to relieve the tense atmosphere. Instead, the film only leaves the viewer with a highly teasing experience of what could have happened. Yet, within the ambiguousness the story and the open-ended feeling leaves the audience with the idea of finishing the story for themselves. Gessner's cinematic creation leaves the viewer with a clever depiction of something very captivating, which delivers both a terrific and awkward cinematic experience depending how the viewer approaches the film.
Jodie Foster's performance is an excellent reason to why the viewer should experience this captivating thriller. In addition, Gessner's direction helps keep the story fascinating. The combination between these, the direction, and the acting helps develop a unique cinematic experience that will linger for some time in the back of the mind.
Movie Review: Hiding In Plain Sight...
Summary: 5 Stars
I have waited about 25 years to see this movie again! Finally, it is on DVD where it belongs! This is my favorite Jodie Foster flick (yep, I even like it better than Silence Of The Lambs) as well as my favorite movie from the 70s. As Rynn, Ms. Foster is perfect! She was 13 (as was her character), going on 27, and comes across as cool, controlled, and mysterious. Living in her leased house, Rynn must use her smarts in order to survive and avoid discovery. Is her father alive? What's the real story about her mother? Will that nasty / nosey Mrs. Hallet (Alexis Smith) ever leave Rynn in peace? Will Hallet's disgusting and dangerous son (Martin Sheen) go too far? Will Mario (Scott "Bad Ronald" Jacoby) be able to help Rynn in her ruse? And what about officer Miglioriti? Will his suspicions unravel Rynn's carefully constructed life? And just what is down in that cellar anyway? TLGWLDTL is a twisty little mystery / thriller showcasing Jodie Foster's natural acting ability. She's so adult it's scary! I love some of Rynn's comments on public school (she's never set foot in it) for instance. She calls it stultifying. Rynn is a unique kid in a homogenized world. Her conversations with Mario are as enlightening as they are entertaining. I find myself wanting her to make it, even though her doom appears inevitable. Much has been made of her nude scene. It is very brief and I wasn't offended by it. The sexuality between Rynn and Mario is more implied than explicit or graphic. I had a harder time with the infamous hamster scene! Of course, this helps to define Sheen's character as a thoroughly repugnant human being. He is driven to have Rynn at all cost. Watching his increasingly obsessive / violent behavior toward her is disturbing and (sadly) familiar. He's just like the predators that fill our current papers and news programs. Enough about him! All Jodie fans must add this one to their DVD shelf!... Movie Review: I Have Waited For Years
Summary: 5 Stars
I have loved this movie for years!!!!! one of the best thrillers I have ever seen. Jodie Foster and Martin sheen are awesome in this classic..It's about time they finally released it..Movie Review: It's about time!
Summary: 5 Stars
Possibly the best of Jodie Foster's post "Taxi Driver" adolescent films, Nicolas Gessner's "The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane" is a terrific, creepy psychological thriller about an abandoned thirteen-year-old girl who will resort to anything to remain living alone in her father's house, even murder. Her murder weapons of choice? Arsenic, and the unseen creature (or whatever it is) that lives in the basement.
Martin Sheen, Scott Jacoby and Alexis Smith co-star as potential victims, but this film is Foster's showcase all-the-way. She is terrific in this ultra-creepy fright-fest which concentrates on pulling the strings of psychological horror rather than offering a full-frontal, visual assault on the viewer. And giving away any more of the plot would be a cheat; it's best for the viewer to experience what happens him/herself. A word of warning, however: some viewers who are partial to gore and action in their horror flicks would be well-advised to steer clear and check out the "Friday the 13th" films instead. But for psychological horror fans, "The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane" is hard to beat.
One question: with Foster's success in the suspense/horror genre as an adult ("Silence of the Lambs", "Panic Room" and the upcoming "Flight Plan"), why did it take 28 years for this film to become widely available on video? That said, kudos to MGM/UA for not only finally presenting this classic for mass viewing, but for offering it in its original widescreen format. Evidently there are no more features, but who's complaining? At least we have another great film, long unavailable and unseen on any format (including TV), finally available for consumption. Thank you, MGM-UA.
***** (out of five *****)