A letter to Denzel: "The Little Things"

Dear Denzel,

I am a loyal fan who rushes to see any movie that you star in.

Unfortunately, your latest film, “The Little Things,” that I viewed at my local drive-in in Las Vegas, was a letdown. I slept through three-quarters of the film. (I did not fall asleep; I went to sleep!)

With three Academy Award winners (i.e., you, Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody and Jared Leto for Dallas Buyer’s Club), I anticipated well-honed performances that would engage me; I was disappointed.

In your role as veteran Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke,” Deacon, there is little of your characteristic wit and swagger; instead, you delivered lines without much energy and generally seemed to sleepwalk through the film.

 Rami, cast as Sgt. Jim Baxter, a young detective on the rise, comes across as fawning and uncertain vis a vis Deke’s homicide experience as they investigate the murders of several young women in Los Angeles during the 1990s. With two topnotch actors (different in stature, age, and type), I awaited some dramatic sparks, yet the chemistry between you and Rami was missing.

Jared Leto, with his long-haired hippie look, might have adopted a different persona to reflect a more fearsome and menacing Albert Sparma, the suspected serial killer. (In the interest of full disclosure, and in fairness to Jared, I admit that I slept through many of his scenes.)

Denzel, your less than stellar performance, was not the only disappointment in this meant-to-be thriller. Under the direction of John Lee Hancock, the movie’s pace is slow and left me hankering for some plot action that would get my heart pumping.

Ironically, reviews of the film (and your performance) that I read hailed the film as nuanced and insightful. None agreed with mine. I wondered, does your iconic stature render critiques of your performances off-limits?

Of course, I am no movie critic, just a longtime fan who will rush to see your next movie; however, I will call things as I see them.

Your loyal fan

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