Small Crimes (2017)

Fantastic!

Disapointment

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Small Crimes is a sharp, short slice of noir. A low-key crime film that that is packed with great nuanced performances. Tightly directed with a gripping screenplay that smartly straddles the razors edge of noir and absurdity. Rich characters with a marvellously self-deluded and engaging protagonist. Small Crimes ticked all the boxes for me. I loved it.

To tell you about this movie might affect it's impact, because a good part of its impact is the backstory it doesn't give you until the moment it is needed, creating a process of discovery in a careful unfolding of story for the viewer. This is one indication of the filmmaking craft at its best.Small Crimes is the story of a narcissistic ex-cop, now ex-con, released from prison after a six-year stint for slashing a DA in a drunken brawl. Turns out that his crimes were worse than that, but from the get-go we have the impression that Joe Denton, in a nuanced portrayal by the inimitable Danish actor Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau, really wants to turn his life around, even though he's cursed with a taste for whiskey, and the small town he returns home to is populated by his nasty old crowd.Virtually all of the performances are spot on, but, for me, the film was anchored by Molly Parker, Robert Forster, Macon Blair (the co-writer) and Gary Cole, in addition to Coaster- Waldau in the lead. This film has an evenly-paced start, and I kept wondering when it would click into another gear, though it was intriguing from the first frame; and I loved the way the filmmakers didn't show their hand early, they don't forecast how very dark the movie will become, they just unfold it for you with a sure hand, never getting fancy or "filmic" with the camera. They are letting the story do its work, without forcing anything or trying to wow you with gimmicky visual candy or a score that calls attention to itself. Another sign of solid, sure-handed filmmaking.Small Crimes reminded me of a Cohen Brothers film, or my own film, Lake of Fire. It has a bit of a Gothic feel with a dark-comedy thread, is definitely fatalistic and rather brooding, but also crisply realistic in look, dialog, and acting. I must add that the music does provide some guidance in terms of accentuating some sense of comical irony to what Joe Denton has to go through.At the end of it, I felt that I had experienced a good dose of small town nihilism, but the fact that Joe Denton has a narcissistic, self-destructive personality type isn't revealed until near the end of the film. That detail didn't even need to be provided, but, when it is, you are given a nice clue to his behavior throughout the story — this is the kind of detail you would get in a novel, and I would guess that the rich story fabric of Small Crimes might be due to the novel on which the screenplay was based, and, of course, the screenwriters' talent for knowing how a story should work.For screenwriters, there's a good lesson about the value of using backstory to fill out a story as you go, using it as a story layer to provide a richer understanding of the drama. I think that must be why I like this movie so much: it simply doesn't follow a typical, as in typically contemporary, filmmaking formula. It's an original story and an original, fully realized filmmaking vision. Bravo to all who helped make it happen.I should also mention the power and depth and light that Molly Parker brought to the film in the role of Joe Denton's girlfriend. Here again, you feel the tension of knowing just enough to be intrigued, to sense there could be some hope for Joe, before the final sequence pulls the rug out from under whatever it was you thought might happen.I recommend this film to everyone who loves original indie films and filmmakers who take the craft to heart.

Our Hero here isn't a hero but we still like him. a great performance from Nikloaj to bring a complex yet simplified character. However the movie is tonally inconsistent. just when you think we're going in fast pace and more entertaining way the movie pulls back. which is off putting. some character motivations aren't very clear.This movie is smart, good looking, dark and very original. The story is really good and interesting. I was wondering all the time what's going to happen. and the movie was able to still surprise me. If you like original and different movies you should watch this.

There are lot of background history spare parts in this film looked more like a sequel to an earlier film but there's actually no such prequel, so we viewers got to connect the dots by ourselves, but still, it gave you the feeling of a nicely directed and well acted film, didn't give you any B movie like lousy taste. Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau used this film to show us he could really act, a total different role from what he played in "Game of Throne", and he was very very good to prove he can be an A list actor. But even so, this film are missing a lot details that should came from another earlier film.