A tenderly handled and deeply felt exploration of adolescence, friendship and the conflicts that tear us apart against the backdrop of the callous realities of gentrification. Perfectly set to a warm and soaring score and rarely hitting a false note, Little Men is the quiet little movie that could. Full of earnest truths and visceral vulnerability, Sachs tackles naturalistic characterization and perceptive emotions of these two precocious children as earnestly and bravely as the adults. For an indie caked in realism and so understated on the surface, it’s rather saturated with deeper meanings, complex characters and profound internal conflict. Greg Kinnear gives one of his best performances in eons as a struggling actor balancing between being a good father, a good businessman and a good person. He’s a character who’s faced rejection more times than once and plays him with moments of fraught despondency and conceit worth, yet remains likable and sympathetic. The child who plays Tony is a charismatic revelation. He’s actually reminiscent of a young Pete Davison and I’ll surely be rooting to see him in future roles. I absolutely adore this movie and cannot wait to see it again. [A-]