Little Men: Ira Sachs’ modest drama tells the story of a pair of 13-year-old, newly best friends, who get entangled in a dispute between their parents over the lease of a shop. The approach is quiet, touching, and non-judgemental; the two kids are appealing, while the adults all seem to be overcome with their own issues, coming across as less likable as a whole. Acting is uneven: Theo Taplitz, as the shy new kid on the block, a budding artist, is fine enough; Michael Barbieri, however, as his new friend, a more out-going and active kid, can be quite grating with his excessive performance. Jennifer Ehle and Greg Kinnear are OK as the parents of the first. Paulina García, as the mother of the second, is weaker: her character, a struggling store owner, is the least likable of the bunch, and her performance is excessively low-energy. Editors Mollie Goldstein and Affonso Gonçalves keep the film short and to the point, while the remainder of the craft is low-key effective and unremarkable.