Theoretically, everyday life should be the least interesting part of the human experience to explore on film. To be fair, fantastic films exist about normal people doing boring stuff, but who honestly wants to spend two hours watching actors pretend to do things that the audience actually does every day? Washing dishes, tableside arguments, and dog walking are not exactly what comes to mind when you think of escapist cinema. However, “All These Small Moments” manages to explore the mundane details of life in a charming manner that leaves a long-lasting impression.
In short, “All These Small Moments” is about flawed people with relationship problems living in New York City. To be fair, you can sum up any movie by boiling it down to its core components, and technically, you could get into specifics — A teenage boy falling in love with an adult woman he regularly sees on a bus — but, on the whole, the film really is that simple.
Nevertheless, “All These Small Moments” succeeds in simplicity. As the debut feature from director Melissa B. Miller, the drama shines brightest in its quietest moments, including scenes of a boy touching hands with a stranger and a young girl confessing a dark secret. The film’s plot progression feels as if you’re listening to a close friend tell you a story – an unfocused story, but personal and engaging nonetheless. For a debut outing, “All These Small Moments” is self-assured in its artistic voice and vision, and Miller establishes herself as a talent to take notice of. The writer-director showcases remarkable attention to detail, as well as a thorough understanding of her craft. The feature displays striking artistic confidence behind the camera through its restrained, albeit commanding onscreen presence.
Notably, the performances from the entire cast are top-notch and allow “All These Small Moments” to remain captivating even at its lowest points. As an experienced veteran and talented newcomer respectively, Molly Ringwald and Brendan Meyer operate as the standouts on the acting front. Ringwald effortlessly floats between frustrating and empathetic, though the two emotions coalesce into a satisfying whole by the film’s conclusion. On the other hand, Meyer’s youthful confusion and adolescent delusion serve as the emotional core of the movie to an endearing effect. Similarly, Jemima Kirke and Harley Quinn Smith pop in from time to time to steal the spotlight in their roles as remarkably well-rounded supporting characters.
Of course, “All These Small Moments” does come with its fair share of faults. As is commonplace with most films in the coming-of-age subgenre, the work gives off an overly sentimental vibe at times. ‘Moments’ falls prey to relishing too long in its somewhat offbeat tone, which periodically comes across as forced, particularly in its attempts at comedy. And while the collage-like structure certainly lends itself to realism, the result occasionally drifts into sluggishness.
Furthermore, the aforementioned subtlety sporadically works against the film, and is primarily seen in the character department. As realistic and relatable as they are, these characters are ultimately regular people with normal problems. Growing up, first love, and divorce are all commonplace issues that have been explored countless times before, and “All These Small Moments” regrettably fails to provide fresh insight. Moreover, the film does not offer any sort of plot resolution. While this decision adheres to the overall resolve of “This is how life works,” an out-of-place voiceover is not enough to make up for the fact that the ending feels hollow, rushed, and unfortunately takes away from an otherwise admirable whole.
In the end, “All These Small Moments” probably won’t leave you feeling charged up with a revived fervor for life, but chances are that was never the film’s intention. Can you recall your favorite memories from your childhood? Sure, some of them might be of reckless house parties or irresponsible misadventures, but the ones that truly stay with you are the quiet days – days when you splashed around outside in the rain or the nights you spent cuddled up next to your high school sweetheart. These are the memories that you’ll remember for a lifetime, and “All These Small Moments” rests perfectly within this sentiment. You won’t spend every waking second thinking about the film, but when you do take the time to reminisce, you can’t help but smile. [B]