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CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
‘The Little Traitor’ Succumbs to Shameless Manipulation
Submitted by BrianTT on June 11, 2010 - 9:45am
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Continuing reading for Matt Fagerholm’s full “The Little Traitor” review.
‘The Little Traitor’ stars Ido Port, Alfred Molina, Rami Heuberger, Gilya Stern, Theodore Bikel and Jacob Barker. It was written and directed by Lynn Roth. It opened on June 11th at the Landmark Renaissance Place Cinema. It is not rated.
The Last Traitor
Photo credit: Westchester
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 Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Here’s a story so sweet and so well-intentioned that it practically dares you not to like it. It’s mighty tempting to give it a pass purely on the basis of its premise, which is vital, timely and quite moving. If this story were told by a filmmaker less intent on yanking audience’s heartstrings until they snapped, it may have provided the foundation for a great and important film.
Instead, “The Little Traitor” is forgettable art-house fodder. It’s so self-conscious about the issues it’s attempting to address that it can’t help feeling phony every step of the way. There’s not a moment in the film that feels authentic, and not a word that comes out of its young protagonist’s mouth that doesn’t sound scripted. The film is based on a novel by the acclaimed Israeli novelist Amos Oz, who’s been a vocal proponent for a two-state solution to the never-ending Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His book, “A Panther in the Basement,” is rich and provocative where the film version is bland and pat.
| Read Matt Fagerholm’s full review of “The Little Traitor” in our reviews section. |
The most fitting thing about “The Little Traitor” is its title, since it evokes the old comedy shorts featuring Spanky, Buckwheat and Alfalfa. While the film isn’t exactly a comedy, it does treat it’s rough subject matter with an oddly light touch. Proffi (Ido Port), the film’s 11-year-old protagonist, resembles a Palestinian Alfalfa. The year is 1947, and Proffi is perturbed by the British soldiers that are occupying his homeland. He often conspires with his friends about ways to sabotage the British, but these tykes seem no more threatening than the He-Man Woman Haters (though they do know a thing or two about homemade explosives). Like Alfalfa, Proffi ends up growing a fondness for the “enemy,” when he develops an unlikely friendship with the compassionate Sgt. Dunlop (Alfred Molina). Unlike many of his comrades, Dunlop actually bothers to educate himself about the surrounding culture of Palestine, rather than condescend to it. It’s a shame the filmmakers couldn’t follow his example.
Continuing reading for Matt Fagerholm’s full “The Little Traitor” review.The Last Traitor
Photo credit: Westchester
