
Little Big Mouth
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Odd, unconvincing romcom has some language, drinking.

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Little Big Mouth
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What's the Story?
Guitarist Siya (Nay Maps) drinks whisky openly at a wedding gig and drunkenly offends everyone at the event, getting his band kicked off the stage without pay. He refuses to apologize for his inexcusable behavior so the bandmates kick him out of the house they share. Unhoused, he ultimately asks for help from Mel (Amanda du-Pont). Her father Frank (James Borthwick) immediately recognizes Siya's shortcomings and advises Mel to kick the guy out. Mel's 9-year-old son Luke (Brady Hofmeyr) is jealous of Siya and together with Grandpa implements a series of sabotages to get him to leave, filling Siya's room with mosquitoes, putting glue in his shampoo, urinating into his whisky bottle, and generally being unfriendly. Siya secures a gig singing at a restaurant and is able to move to a hotel but, by then, he has kissed Mel. She seems willing to date a selfish, fast-talking drifter and is angry at her father and son for suggesting that Siya would be a bad choice for a boyfriend. Will Mel and Siya be able to become a couple?
Is It Any Good?
Although a few incidental musical performances by attractive actors are agreeable enough, this unconvincing story has almost nothing else to recommend it. So much of this is repellant, for attitudes about unhoused people, for misleading implications about how easy it is to kick an alcohol addiction or launch a successful musical career, and for making it seem as if arrogance and charm somehow make someone attractive. Time after time the 9-year-old is portrayed as exceptionally smart. So why does he suddenly think medicine he's seen his grandfather take many times is "candy"? When he grinds it up and sprinkles the dangerous medication on his ice cream, it makes no sense. When he tries to make a fire in a barbecue to bake a pizza, we know that he knows better, and again, it makes no sense. Siya is a liar, arrogant, irresponsible, and unapologetic. What arc of improvement does he undergo that could lead to his attracting a terrific woman? Why does Mel like him? How could she consider bringing him home to her young son?
Also absurd is the treatment of an adult with an alcohol problem. It seems to just disappear without any effort at all. Last but most annoying, over a year and a half, The Beatles played gigs 250 nights, sometimes four shows a night, to perfect their act and prepare for success. Here, Siya and Mel decide to form a duo and in one short year they successfully play to a huge crowd. No one's buying that.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what attractive qualities the unhoused and arrogant Siya has that might attract Mel. Why do you think she likes him?
Does it seem likely that Siya could achieve musical success in only one year? Why or why not?
How does this compare to other romcoms you've seen?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: October 22, 2021
- Cast: Nay Maps , Amanda du-Pont , James Borthwick , Brady Hofmeyr
- Directors: Gray Hofmeyr , Ziggy Hofmeyr
- Inclusion Information: Black actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Romance
- Run time: 94 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
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