Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 4, 2016

1976 was a big year for young actress Jodie Foster. Making a major leap to starring roles, Foster appeared in “Taxi Driver,” “Bugsy Malone,” and “Freaky Friday,” solidifying her skill with comedy and drama, but also pushing Foster to play adult roles as a child, selecting projects that knew what to do with her unnerving maturity. “The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane” is perhaps the least known of the group, but it represents Foster’s strongest work, tasked with portraying a troubled adolescent working to wave off attention on her troubling deeds, encountering true disease during a particularly eventful winter. “Down the Lane” is engrossing and unsettling, with director Nicolas Gessner unafraid to take the tale to dark places, mixing up suspense through subtle acts of predatory behavior. It’s strange but effective movie, yet Foster is the reason to remain with it, finding a role that makes the most of her skill and impressive presence.

During a particularly cold season in Maine, Rynn (Jodie Foster) is emerging as an independent woman, keeping order around a house rented for an extended period of time to her poet father, Lester. However, little is known about the absentee parent, leaving Rynn open to the curiosity of others. Most dangerous is Frank (Martin Sheen), a pedophile who’s extremely interested in seducing the 13-year-old girl, coming over to the house to check on Rynn, who carefully rejects his advances. Also showing concern is Frank’s mother, Cora (Alexis Smith), a landlady who isn’t convinced that Rynn is living with Lester, peppering the girl with questions that ultimately lead to her disappearance. With concerned cop Miglioriti (Mort Shuman) trying to help the young woman when he can, and teen magician Mario (Scott Jacoby) attempting to romance the new resident, Rynn is put in a difficult position of trust as she begins to share her secrets with others.

“Down the Lane” doesn’t shy away from Frank’s interest in Rynn as a sexual object. It’s a bold element of Laird Koenig’s screenplay (adapting his own book), building up the father of two as a serious threat to Rynn, using his oily charms to size up his latest prey, with the opening of the feature taking place on Halloween, permitting the creep a chance to slip into the rental house. This initial encounter sets the tone of the movie, establishing the film’s theatrical atmosphere as the characters engage in a war of words, trading barbed banter as defenses are sized up and the mystery of Lester commences, with Rynn adamant that her father is busy with work and travel, but offering no evidence to back up her claims. Frank isn’t initially violent (that comes later), but he’s a substantial threat, keeping his hands on Rynn as they interact, but ultimately refused by the teenager, who is more than capable of dealing with adults as an adult.

Rynn’s accelerated maturity is highlighted throughout “Down the Lane,” observing the teen master an elaborate ruse for initially unknown reasons, watching her over the month as she prepares meals, manages banking needs, and educates herself, recently taking an interest in learning Hebrew. The role plays to Foster’s strengths, and she’s completely believable in the part, keeping Rynn confident with her psychological gamesmanship and smart with her arguments, disarming a dismissive attitude from Cora, who checks in on the property, needing access to the cellar to pick up jelly jars, only to find Rynn refusing permission. “Down the Lane” is simply designed but wholly effective, keeping to a routine of good Samaritans and nosy types invading Rynn’s personal space, keeping the conversational mood alert as varying degrees of hostility are exposed.

“Down the Lane” is talky but it never comes to complete stop. Gessner wisely keeps the picture on the move, offering periodic excursions outside, breaking up showdowns in the rental home, and performances are superb, backing Foster with sharp supporting turns that identify the oddity of the situation and, for Mario, its romantic possibilities, with the magician coming to Rynn’s aid offering generational understanding and moral permissiveness. But it’s Foster who truly takes command of “Down the Lane,” delivering crisp work as Rynn, preserving the teen’s authority while surrounded by those looking to control her. She’s amazing in the movie, dominating scenes with adults while making Rynn into a complex figure of deception, never fully uncovering motivations until the script is ready to start making big reveals. While plenty of attention was placed on Foster during this time period for “Taxi Driver,” “Down the Lane” is a stronger, more richly defined performance from the star, showcasing amazing skill with a difficult part.

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation handles the eerie mood of "Down the Lane" satisfactorily, offering viewers a nicely detailed viewing experience that emphasizes close-ups, exploring facial textures, and interior decoration is open for inspection. Colors are secure and true, best with costuming and town visits, delivering hearty primaries. Skintones are natural. Delineation is settled, supporting the feature's growing interest in shadowy encounters. Source is in good shape, moving past rougher main titles quickly, settling into a crisp, relatively clean presentation.

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is most direct with dialogue exchanges, handling surges in emotion and combativeness without distortion, keeping tension sharp and performances open for inspection. Music is minimally used here, but it supports as intended, with reasonable instrumentation. Atmospherics are modest but effective, and interior echo is preserved. Hiss is not an issue here.

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Nicolas Gessner.

• Interview (27:27, HD) with Martin Sheen discusses the actor's approach to working on "Down the Lane," starting with casting and initial curiosity about the part, which required trust in Gessner. Time with Jodie Foster is discussed (the star befriended Sheen's daughter on-set), along with a breakdown of the hamster sequence, with the interviewee careful to note that a real creature wasn't harmed. Sheen's always fascinating and invested in the moment, making the conversation lively, and his thoughts on professional opportunities for young actors in today's media-everywhere landscape are interesting.

• "A Conversation with Sheen and Gessner" (5:33, HD) is a brief reunion between the professionals, who enjoy some mutual appreciation and explore creative choices over Skype. Unfortunately, Gessner's side of the conversation can't be seen due to laptop illumination issues, but a spirited chat remains.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:03, HD) is included.

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Down the Lane" gets a little sidetracked in the final act, suddenly participating in the sexual exploitation of Rynn as Gessner begins to side with Frank, ordering up a nude scene for the barely teenaged protagonist (completed with a body double) that's completely unnecessary, introducing genuine ick to a movie that was doing just fine with suggestion up to this point. Once suspense returns to the feature, the story manages to close satisfactorily, adding some sinister business to a tale that handles instability with magnificent subtlety. "The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane" isn't a shocker, but it gets under the skin like a terrific horror picture can, trying to disturb its audience without indulging in obvious fury, keeping the effort distressing and riveting, even when it simply focuses on two people in a static situation trying to figure each other out.