All the Little Animals (1998) User Reviews

Moving Film About Wandering Souls.

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 21 August 2013]

Christian Bale stars as Bobby Platt, an innocent young man that doesn't fit in so well with society(I sympathize greatly!) who is forced to take to the highways and roads of Cornwall, England after his mother dies, and his evil sociopath of a stepfather decides to put him away to gain full control of the family business.

Bobby is viewed as mentally challenged, but really that is a misunderstanding of this poor innocent person(quite possibly undiagnosed on the Autistic Spectrum), who loves nature, and after befriending fellow wanderer Mister Summers(played with quiet dignity by John Hurt) decides to help him bury dead animals killed by cars along the road. Mr. Summers has a secret past that keeps him a recluse, but they form a close friendship that becomes threatened by the return of the stepfather...

Christian Bale is entirely believable, and his journey of self-discovery and inner growth is remarkable. Story does have a jarring change of tone in the climax, but this is not enough to mar this otherwise memorable film that like-minded viewers will appreciate, with a quietly moving and fitting end.

Excellent acting, but soft on story line

[sigsrfun · 7/10 · 16 October 2006]

It seems that most child actors don't transition well as they mature. They either end up with childish physical features or an acting style that suffers from an inability to evolve past the primitive roles they had in their youth. Then there's Christian Bale. From Empire of the Sun to American Psycho he has displayed a competent transition into adulthood and has made a fan out of me. And unlike female fans, guys who like Christian Bale, nine times out of ten, are not transfixed on the shower scene in AP.

All the Little Animals is yet another competent performance, and not only from Christian, but for the impeccable John Hurt and the terrifying Daniel Benzali. Christian Bale plays Bobby Platt, a twenty-four year old man child. He tells us that when he was younger he was hit by a car and has never been the same since. Bobby is very emotionally fragile and slightly simple minded, though not to the degree of a virtual on screen degenerate. This is the key to his performance. Most actors playing the role of the mentally handicapped overplay the affliction thus making their characters completely incapable of functioning in society, a la Rainman. Christian's Bobby Platt is 95% normal, like any other person, but when stressed he starts to cry, more like a 10 year old child than a 24 year old man. Coupled with the fact that he is relatively simple and not capable of expressing himself as well as he otherwise would, he ends up being victimized by his step father (played perfectly by Daniel Benzali), whom Bobby refers to as "the Fat." Benzali's character is a sadist who suffocates Bobby's pet mouse in order to get Bobby to sign legal documents which Bobby is clearly not capable of understanding. Bobby has enough intelligence to refuse to sign anything and out of fear of the Fat's threat that he will be institutionalized he runs away from home.

Bobby eventually comes across Mr. Sommers (John Hurt) who is an eccentric recluse who goes around Englands small country roads burying animals that have been crushed by motorists. Bobby begs Mr. Sommers to let him live with him and Mr. Sommers reluctantly agrees.

As the story unfolds, Bobby becomes comfortable enough with Mr. Sommers to reveal his secret (that he has run away) and Mr. Sommers likewise tells him of his own, strangely similar past which I will not reveal. Realizing that running away from the Fat is not a solution to Bobby's problems, Mr. Sommers convinces Bobby to return to the Fat, sign the legal documents and then live with Mr. Sommers without any more fear of his stepfather. However, Mr. Sommers is a bit naive about dealing with the Fat who reveals in the last 20 minutes of film just why he may very well be one of the most evil stepfathers of all time.

The ending is unfortunately predictable and unnecessarily long. Also, far too much of the film focuses on Mr. Sommers curious "work" of burying road kill. This would not be so bad had there been more of a story line. Also, this film propounds a simplistic moral message about life being precious. Yet the ending completely undermines this moral absolute.

This film is plot driven, and not a character study, and therefore the good performances are not enough to make this film worthy of greater praise. If not for the powerful acting this film would be merely mediocre.

Christian Bale is the foremost incredible actor of Gen X - completely inhabits the character Bobby.

[gracefulily76 · 8/10 · 30 November 2006]

This movie is incredible. Christian Bale gives the most convincing, beautiful performance. He becomes Bobby. The story is so unique and really is for those motivated by compassion and love for the simple, and often under looked in society. The stepfather is evil incarnate, and I could almost not bear watching him. John Hurt is amazing in this as well. I loved this movie! This isn't a review, just me, expounding on my favorite actor, Christian Bale, and how in love I am with his work. He brings it every time! The scenery in this is gorgeous as well, of the English countryside. There is a scene towards the end when Bobby (Bale) starts crying over Mr. Summers and it is magnificent. He is so believable. Good triumphs over evil. It is a bit twisted at times, but you have to watch this with the spirit of justice in mind. This is a story of love, and the power of the simple, the "unpowerful" in our world's eye.

Beautiful, quietly dignified

[Libretio · 6/10 · 29 December 2004]

ALL THE LITTLE ANIMALS

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (2.35 Research)

Sound format: Dolby Digital

Until it takes a darker turn during its latter stages, there's a quiet dignity at the heart of this unusual drama, the directorial debut of producer Jeremy Thomas, based on a novel by Walker Hamilton. Christian Bale - a long way from EMPIRE OF THE SUN and two years from American PSYCHO - plays a mentally impaired young man who runs away from his creepy stepfather (Daniel Benzali) in the wake of his mother's death and ends up in Cornwall, where he befriends an eccentric hermit (John Hurt) whose fondness for animals strikes a healing chord within Bale's damaged psyche. Together, they set out to bury the dead creatures they find around their ramshackle home in the forest, many of them killed by traffic on lonely country roads.

Characterized by its magical performances (Bale is utterly convincing as the 10 year old boy trapped in a 25 year old's body) and eye-popping, panoramic vistas of the English landscape, the film offers a gentle reminder of mankind's place in the natural scheme of things, though Thomas makes his point without stooping to preachiness or obvious metaphors. In an amusing turnabout from standard Hollywood practices, this UK-lensed film features an American actor (Benzali) playing a Brit villain, the catalyst for a late-breaking plot development which some may find overly melodramatic. By turns humane, frightening and beautiful, this isn't a movie for all tastes, but adventurous viewers will be rewarded for their patience. A possible cult in the making.

Different Story, Wonderful Acting!

[Cyber256702000 · 3 April 2003]

A mentally slow boy is threatened to sign his dead mother's store to his completely evil stepfather. Afraid of his stepfather he runs away from home and meets an old hermit who believes that all animals and life is of great importance. He spends his days cleaning up the roadkill on the road and giving the dead animals proper burial. The young boy decides to help the old man and is allowed to live with the old man, but is afraid that the stepfather won't stop looking for him until he gets the store. A very unusual and different story. I really liked it. The superb acting by the entire cast also helps make this a memorable little flick. Daniel Benzali makes a truly frightening stepfather. **1/2 out of ****

A character study of good and evil.........

[merklekranz · 7/10 · 13 December 2008]

Some people need total control of everything and everyone in their lives. When they fail to enforce their will, these individuals lash out in anger, torment, or aggression. "The Fat" could be the poster child for such outrageous behavior. Daniel Benzali has played the heavy many times before (see "Suckers"), but his performance in "All the Little Animals" is pure evil, and reason alone to seek this film out. John Hurt and Christian Bale give fine performances, but it is Benzali who makes the movie memorable. The film is highly original, deliberately paced, and the ending is extremely satisfying. Highly recommended. - MERK

Great film for those who have compassion.

[rebtris · 10/10 · 13 August 2004]

My son and I really liked this film. If you are into shoot 'em up, no thinking or feeling required movies, then this one is not for you. For those who like animals and like to see the little guy win once in awhile, this is a great film. The stepfather, DeWinter, is a typical "nothing matters but money" type person and his unfortunate stepson, Bobby, gets caught in the line of his ruthless fire. As fate would have it, Bobby meets an eccentric and oddly lovable old fellow, Mr. Summers, who is into giving the poor creatures who have been flattened on the road a decent burial and a little compassion for what their little life once was. I know in this steam roller over everything that isn't human world that we live in, a lot of people aren't concerned in the slightest with what befalls those who are not so fortunate as them, particularly when it's a non-human unfortunate. But I found it very refreshing that someone took the time to write a book and do a film about the "underdogs" of life on this planet. I found myself cheering Bobby on when he finally finds his backbone and deals with his stepfather appropriately. For those who love animals and maybe even detest the cruelty that some people just feel they have to exhibit towards the helpless, this is a one in a million movie where the little guys win.

Gentle story takes bizarre dark turn into Stephen King territory...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 14 February 2007]

Nobody can accuse Christian BALE of choosing to do conventional stories. He's starring in a really quirky tale here, about an isolated boy running away from a cruel step-father (DANIEL BENZALI) and connecting with a hermit (JOHN HURT) who resides in a rundown shack in the woods, guarding a dark secret involving the death of a woman he killed and a whole lot of stashed cash.

It starts out peacefully enough, but soon invades Stephen King territory when the tale takes a much darker turn. DANIEL BENZALI is truly scary in the scene where he mocks Hurt and almost strangles him to death, after which he kicks him brutally in the side. He then forces Bale to take him to the hermit's hut deep in the woods and has him dig a couple of graves. To tell any more would spoil the rest of the plot and give away too much--let's just say, the viewer is kept wondering what will happen next, especially during the last ten minutes.

Beautifully photographed among handsome British locales, it's not exactly a pleasant story and, again, it's not surprising to see that Christian BALE is not your conventional young actor choosing only safe material. Much like Johnny Depp, he dares to take on boldly unconventional films that he must think have some sort of social significance.

Serious movie buffs might find this independent film intriguing, but it's not for the average movie-goer.

moving beyond words; you'll never forget it.

[moggy-4 · 9/10 · 21 September 2000]

Read Roger Ebert's review for plot description and more. He says it far better than I ever could. I can't believe some of the user comments that didn't like it. If I were a filmaker, this is the film I would want to be known for.

It is definitely not a children's film. Nor is it a "tearjerker" inthe way,say Bambi or The Yearling were; not that they weren't good. It's more about good vs. evil; and more than that. It's for people who think; who want to see more than car chases and Hollywood cliches. See it. You'll never forget it.

Know What You're Getting Into

[themagicalmysterytour · 7/10 · 6 May 2023]

I was excited to see a John Hurt and Christian Bale film when cruising Prime one day.

I put it on that evening alone in my flat at around midnight whilst working on a project. The prime synopsis read: "Bobby (Christian Bale) runs away from home to escape his violent stepfather. He's taken in by a reclusive older man (John Hurt) until the two of them must confront Bobby's stepfather. Christian Bale is a standout in this dark moral fable."

I didn't research further as I didn't want anything spoiled. Of course, elsewhere online it states that the father kills all of Bobby's pets, prompting his escape.

As the movie made it past the first 10 minutes, I knew that it was not what I was expecting. I was ready for a heartwarming tale of a boy growing up and learning, with the help of a hermit, how to stand up to his stepfather.

I was met with a horror movie. With my cat beside me, we powered through this depressing, chaotic, and angering film. There is nothing particularly wrong with the acting, or the writing, or the cinematography, or the directing. But the subject matter is loaded. You will be yelling at the television at multiple points. I will not spoil any additional plot points as my review is more of a warning.

I have now read the book and learned more about the author-but I don't think I can ever watch the film again. Please proceed with caution when watching this film, as it will take a lot out of you.

Disappointing

[thefilmguy7 · 5/10 · 20 June 2009]

I came across this film from a review by Roger Ebert. I have grown to respect his opinions most of the time. It was also a big motivator to check out to see Christian Bale and John Hurt on screen together. I'm a fan of both of them. The film starts out well with a good introductory to Bale's character caring for his mouse which he must keep hidden from his step father. However the second the step father appears and comes across as a James Bond villain or Darth Vader, especially with the over bearing music, I began to get concerned. Evil step father's are often poorly portrayed in films and are over the top but this one takes the cake. It was just ridiculous. Pretty much every character was over the top and felt over exaggerated. You could make a drinking game off of how many times Bale cries in this film. It just seemed the director was stereotyping mentally challenged people as crying a lot. Even John Hurt, arguably one of the best Shakespearean actors of all time, looks weak in this film. Of course it isn't the actors faults. We all know that Bale and Hurt are amazing talents. It's clearly the fault of an inexperienced director who definitely has not learned the art of subtlety. The concept was interesting and could have lead to a good story in the right hands. In these hands though the narrative is unfocused and poses to be meaningful but in the end isn't. There are plot points that come up that are out of place and have no real point in the film. Towards the end of the film, the whole thing goes off of the deep end. We go into pure fantasy with the step father turning into the equivalent of a comic book super villain. He apparently has the strength of a few men, is unfazed by injury, and can punch through glass windows. It was just so ridiculous. There are so many directions this film could have gone in and they took the worst route imaginable. I really have nothing good to say about this movie other then that Christian Bale and John Hurt did an okay job given that they clearly had nothing to work with. Though it's interesting to look at Bale's performance in this and lay it beside his eerily comedic role in American Psycho, which came out only a year later. If you look at both performances side by side you can see that Bale has an incredible range.

a great movie, a stunning surprise

[fancrow · 10/10 · 26 May 2006]

i loved this movie. Christian bale played his part as well as could be done.

This is the story of a boy who's mind is steadied with a love for living things and a mysterious man who lives out in the woods by himself who's work was saving the animals.

he joins the man in his constant battle against the carelessness of humans and how they don't care who or what they hurt so long as it does not directly affect them. when his stepfather finds out about his life in the woods away from man kind he kills the man and attempts to kill his stepson. when the stepfather himself is killed bobby (bale) is free and he continues the rest of his life doing the 'work' saving the animals.

this movie touched me in the heart because it is something that opens your eyes to the world around you. i think this is especially a good movie for those about to be able to drive so they can be taught the perils the road brings to other creatures

a special drama superbly acted by a young Christian Bale, great script, albeit quite slow

[jdring2007 · 7/10 · 18 September 2021]

Perhaps this movie deserves a better rating from me, like an 8. The sentiments are certainly there, however, although it held my interest to the end, it definitely had some painfully slow and drawn out moments. Nonetheless, that included and the low budget, I felt that it serves its purpose beautifully. Wholesome in general, tarnished only by the all too convincingly portrayed antagonist, it's an interesting feel good movie that I strongly recommend to any Christian Bale fan (and John Hurt was amazing as always), as long as you know not to expect an action or the sort.

Dreadful

[Angst-2 · 4/10 · 24 March 2002]

I truly wanted to like this film. I'm a Hurt fan, and the concept appealed to me, but... it just doesn't work.

None of the performances are bad, but the plot is silly. Towards the end the implausibility approaches comedy, and this is not helpful.

I am not proud to have watched this film.

Terrifying, beautiful, and impossible to categorize

[fertilecelluloid · 9/10 · 22 February 2007]

Christian Bale plays Bobby, a simple, mildly retarded man who is being bullied into signing away his inheritance (after his beloved mother dies) by his frightening, violent, bully of a stepfather, "The Fat", played with chilling authenticity by Bernard De Winter. Refusing to submit to his revolting stepfather's demands, Bobby runs away and meets Mr. Summers (John Hurt), an eccentric conservationist who has devoted his life to burying roadkill. The two men form a strong, platonic bond and spend their days on the road doing their special work. Jeremy Thomas's amazing film, which is impossible to categorize, is full of rich and sinister surprises. Once Bobby and Mr. Summer's idyllic existence in Cornwall is established, the rug is pulled, and we are plunged into a sadistic hell with them that is almost unbearable to watch at times. Bale, one of the best actors going, is extraordinary as Bobby, and makes us care so much for his unfortunate dilemma. De Winter is simply terrifying as the heavy-set villain of the piece, and brings an authenticity to his portrait of a sociopath that is so, so rare. Hurt, rarely seen on screen these days, doesn't put a foot wrong, either. The editing is a little disjointed at times, giving the impression that it is papering over a lack of coverage, but this minor issue is more than compensated for by the sheer originality and strength of the material. A real find.

great!

[DorsiaRes · 9/10 · 8 July 2002]

i was expecting this to be an awful movie but it sounded interesting so i watched it anyway. i was pleasantly surprised and never bored... i thought the acting was excellent, christian bale and john hurt are great in their roles. the thing i like about bale's character is the fact that he's not overtly "mentally disabled" but instead, it's very subtle.

i thought that the love and respect for animals that they both shared was beautiful and the people that REALLY need to see this movie are ones that feel they're superior to animals. no, we never get close to the animals themselves but we can still feel for them. i don't think there's anything ridiculous about mr. summers wanting to bury roadkill, afterall - would you leave a PERSON out in the open after they'd been killed for all to see? no, and even though mr. summers doesn't care for humans much, we can still see he's a caring person on the inside. he respects life and is upset with humans for thinking that they're the only ones that matter.

i can't believe people bash this movie, i didn't find ANYTHING wrong with it!

Best Movie I've Seen This Year

[Peter-175 · 19 April 1999]

First, I want to say that- if you are by any chance the director or writer or producer or anyone who worked on this film, please contact me for a job working with you, I want to work in film and this is a prime example of what I love to see at the cinema. I was in luck that, for the Palm Beach Film Festival, one of the films was cancelled and "All the Little Animals" was substituted. I have always loved Christian Bale's acting, and he is really great in this one- but the entire film is beautiful and captivating. The cinematography is gorgeous, from the streets of London to the forest where much of the film takes place- I especially loved a castle resting magically on a hilltop and dreamlike sequences where Bale's character is floating down a river holding a fox. This is indeed a film about little animals- mainly ones that are found dead on the street. This is a risky film in that it tries to balance fantasy and adventure with true horror (I guess that qualifies it for the "classic" fantasy genre of story books in which the endings were not always happy and the events were sometimes brutal)- making it very questionable for small children. I have rarely been so shaken by suspense at the movies as I was toward the awesomely climactic final scenes here. There is a human villain in this film who is so outrageously, perversely evil that he will come off as a joke for those who are not scared to death by him. I was. John Hurt is quite wonderful too, as an old hermit who befriends Bale. I do not want to spoil the plot- but I will say that it involves many a dead animal- and the moral theme that animals are as beautiful, if not more, than people (from the giant beasts down to microscopic ones). I got the feeling half way through this film that the late Jim Henson would have loved this - it is not unlike the "Storyteller" films that he directed for television in the late 80s, in which John Hurt played the narrator. In fact, the Hurt character is quite similar to the one he played in those as well. Here is a film that is great to look at, terrifically acted and written, and very moral. It is the best film I have seen yet this year.

Roadkill

[mcnally · 1/10 · 7 November 1998]

Very very bad. Paper thin characters, tired plot, absurd villain, ludicrous in every way. John Hurt isn't bad, but a very poor choice of film. Hope the British film industry has more to offer than this piece of poo

Great performances

[JesNollie · 8/10 · 16 September 2001]

This is a quirky movie full of wonderful rich and moving performances. Christian Bale is, as always, magnificent as the slightly brain damaged Bobby. Unable to stand up to his sadistic step father he runs away and meets Mr. Summers, one of the most odd movie characters I've seen some time. A man who has dedicated his life to burying roadkill, played to perfection by John Hurt. Bobby is happy living with Mr. Summers and helping in "his work". But when Mr. Summers convinces Bobby to go home and break all ties with his step-father forever they find out just how evil this man really is. It's really quite a good film.

Truly Awful

[Bree-8 · 1/10 · 15 July 2000]

For a movie to have such fine actors and be so bad is a pity. I looked forward to seeing Christian Bale and John Hurt in a film together, but wondered if I should have bothered within the first five minutes of the movie, and by the end (especially the last brutal twenty minutes) I was dismayed with myself that I had stayed.

EXCEPTIONAL AND CRUEL

[grayton · 10/10 · 18 February 2020]

What a brilliant film. This would have to be one of the best I have seen in years. I watched it today on STAN in Australia.Christian Bale in his early 20s gave a performance as great if not better than he did in EMPIRE OF THE SUN. A cruel but fascinating story and one not to be missed by those who like a well written script. The tension builds and builds to an unexpected climax that will have you gripping your seat.

Set in 1996, Christian Bale in his early 20s as a young man bothered by "The Fat."

[TxMike · 22 February 2012]

I will take a stab here and assume Bobby's reference to "The Fat" is British slang for "the stepfather." That is the only thing that makes sense to me.

It is set in 1996 because we see that date on the grave marker of his recently deceased mother. As Bobby explains in a voice-over, The Fat killed her, not overtly, but by making her so unhappy that she wasted away. Now The Fat is after Bobby to sign papers that will reject his inheritance and give sole ownership to the London store he ran with Bobby's mother. Bobby is so distraught over this because, as she was dying, his mother told him not to sign anything. So he ran away.

Christian Bale in his early 20s as Bobby Platt. He had a severe head injury when he was younger and as a result comes across as rather simple. As he heads towards the Cornwall area, to hunt up his grandfather, Bobby meets up with a man whose mission in life is to collect dead animals he finds on roadways and give them a decent burial. This strikes a chord with Bobby and soon they befriend each other, and in fact Bobby moves in to live with the man, John Hurt as Mr. Summers.

Once Bobby explains all his entanglements to Mr Summers, they pay a visit back in London with The Fat, who does not take the visit very well, resenting the "friend" who wants to see Bobby do the right thing.

This is a movie that many audiences will not embrace because it is not your normal mainstream movie. However I enjoyed it for the actors, both are in fine form.

SPOILERS: The Fat chokes and beats Mr Summers, then takes him and Bobby in the big black car to where Mr Summers' cabin in the woods. Nearly dead he whispers to Bobby to be cunning, to trick The Fat, he needed to be killed. Distracted by lots of hidden money in the floor, Bobby uses his new knife to slash The Fat across the back of his neck then runs towards the sea. The Fat follows, in the car, bleeding badly, and in a final act of trying to run over Bobby with the car, crashes into an old, deep abandoned shaft. Bobby buries Mr Summers, takes as much of the money as he can, and carries on the mission of giving appropriate burials to dead animals.

Excellent

[sjanders-86430 · 10/10 · 2 August 2021]

John Hurt and Christian Bale star in this story of a fat mean stepfather who wants to force Bale to give him Platts store. Bale finds Hurt on the road in Cornwall after the truck crashes and kills a rabbit. The fox got away. Hurt and Bale stop the moth collector by smashing his light with a rock. They bury road kill and live in a remote cabin by the sea. Hurt has money. They try to give the stepfather the store, but he kills Hurt. Then Bale slices the back of the fat stepfather's neck. Bale runs and is followed across fields to an abandoned mine shaft. The car surges forward to hit Bale and instead goes over the opening which gives way. The entire car disappears into a bottomless shaft. Bale burys Hurt and money for later. He hits the road and camps with travelers and his dog.

Such a funny story. Hurt and Bale are immortal.

A movie only for fans & naive-liker.

[YT_SuggestivDrom · 5/10 · 5 July 2022]

A children's adventure novel film that lacks plot details and is neither inspiring nor enlightening.

With beautiful scenery and slow rhythm, it is suitable for people who like nostalgia.

Loved this underrated movie

[codykriskovic · 9/10 · 28 January 2020]

I stumbled upon this movie on accident late at night, and upon watching it I was thrilled to have enjoyed it so much.

Maybe partially because I love Christian Bale but I found myself really drawn to the story and how wonderful it was to watch the story unfold as time went on. I cannot begin to explain how much I loved it, it was honestly such a sweet story to watch, although ending on a sad note. The movie is underrated!!!!