Exploits innocence despite purporting the opposite....

Rating: 1/10 (6 January 2008)

"Little Miss Sunshine" is a movie that despite making loud noises about the exploitation of innocence goes ahead and exploits it anyway.I should imagine it will be enjoyed immensely by the sort of men who spend a lot of time on their computers grooming pre - pubertal girls.Here,without the attendant risk of detection they can indulge their paedophile fantasies as little Olive is groomed by her family for the "Little Miss Sunshine" competition where a dozen seven year olds going on 25 smile desperately and gyrate "sexily" to the delight of a large audience.Granted the event itself is shown to be tacky and tawdry,but the camera lingers just a little longer than absolutely necessary on the skimpily - dressed children,and goes in just a little too close. It is a comedy of embarrassment yes,but one is embarrassed by the actors rather than for them.Their performances do not rise above the level of a TV soap opera but they clearly think they are involved in a cutting - edge movie that is daring to be different.Equally clearly,a lot of paying customers thought so to,but I beg to offer a dissenting opinion. "Little Miss Sunshine" is merely yet another movie about that great Hollywood institution the dysfunctional family coming together to fight a threat from the outside .It is not in the least funny - whoever marketed it as a comedy should be sued under the Trade Descriptions Act. It is not in the least original - Chevy Chase did much the same thing a quarter of a century earlier - and it left a very nasty taste in my mouth.