Small Crimes

I enjoyed Small Crimes and would recommend it with two caveats. Based on the trailers for the film and even the beginning of the film, I expected there to be more dark humor (of the absurd variety). Like 'how can this guy have SO much bad luck'. It very quickly turns away from this direction. Also, there are a lot of players, and the film takes very little time to help the viewer understand each players roles. That being said, you definitely get the gist well enough, and it certainly keeps you intrigued enough to want to see the whole thing through.

Netflix's Small Crimes is a bitter, barren, gnarled piece of work that leaves an uneasy vacuum in the air as it passes. If you haven't heard of it yet, that's because the platform does almost zero promotion when new content comes off the assembly line, quietly slipping it onto the site without so much as a TV spot. Some are forgettable, and some are gems that could have done with a bit of buildup. This one is like David Mamet, Cormac McCarthy and Elmore Leonard sipping whiskey sours one cold, empty night and brainstorming ideas. I love the time honoured themes presented here, but what I love and admire more is the filmmaker's courage in completely subverting, perverting and putrefying the formula. There's countless films about disgraced cops, criminals or what- have-you who return home to a small town with designs on putting the wrong things right and finding a modicum of redemption. Thing is, in 99.999% of these films, we end up with a happy ending where all the kinks are ironed out and bygones are left as such, a trend which really cripples the stakes and grinds our expectations down with a blunt, predictable Hollywood ending. Not this one. Nikolai Koster-Waldau, aka Jamie Lannister, is a wiry, cracked out ex con who used to be a cop, before he viciously, and I do mean viciously, sliced up the town DA at the behest of a crime kingpin. Moping back into the county following a six year stretch in the pen, it's inevitable that his very presence will stir up a few noxious vibes. Sure enough, he runs into trouble from all angles, including the vengeful DA (", looking like he shaves with a wheat thresher), a scummy corrupt detective (Gary Cole eats up the dialogue like candy), the mobsters he used to be employed by, and even his parents (Robert Forster & Jacki Weaver), who are clearly broken by the past. There's a feeling of inescapable doom, an inevitable choking quicksand that Waldau wades deeper into, his seemingly noble intent on reconnecting with his wife and daughters gradually ground away to reveal the true nature of his path, and it ain't pretty. Gary Cole has a way with words and mannerisms, and he runs away with his bent cop role, stealing scenes like nobody's business. Forster has salt of the earth gravitas in spades, and nails a near career best scene with clear eyed conviction, nailing our attention to his presence. It's not a perfect film though, there's pacing issues, sometimes it gets a little vague or scattered and a romantic subplot involving a nurse (Molly Parker) seems glaringly out of place. Waldau anchors it though, a twitchy, unpredictable ne'er do well who seems cosmically incapable of getting his act together. The ending floored my expectations and remind that there is hope for fresh narratives and abstract thinking amongst writers. You'll come out of this one bruised, but you'll be glad you sat through the beating.

I usually don't pay attention to sub 6* movies, but love Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, so I took a chance with this movie. I'm so glad I did, because this is absolutely great flick. Great actors. great photography. Good story. Very Good directing. This is probably my first or second review ever and only did it because it's completely nonsense that this move has sub 6* rating! i don't understand why! This is above 8* flick!

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.

'SMALL CRIMES': Four Stars (Out of Five)

A dark crime-drama about a former corrupt cop, that's just out of prison for attempted murder (from 6 year earlier), who's desperately trying to leave his former life behind, but can't. The movie stars Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau, Molly Parker, Robert Forster, Jacki Weaver, Gary Cole, Macon Blair, Pat Healy and Michael Kinney. The film was directed by E.L. Katz (who also helmed 2013's outstanding 'CHEAP THRILLS'), and it was written by Katz and Blair (based on the novel, of the same name, by Dave Zeltserman). It was released by Netflix through their streaming site, and it's gotten mixed reviews from critics. I found it to be a pretty impressive, and highly interesting, dark crime movie.

Coaster-Waldau plays Joe Denton, a former corrupt cop that was recently released from prison. Denton did six years for attempting to murder a district attorney, named Phil Coakley (Kinney), under the mob's payroll. He attempts to reunite with his ex-wife, and their children, but learns that they've left town and never want to see him again. Denton instead moves in with his parents (Foster and Weaver), but they're suspicious that he's still a danger to himself, and everyone around him. At the same time he starts a relationship with a nurse (Parker), and he's harassed into committing yet another murder, by a corrupt police lieutenant, and his old partner (Cole).

The movie is really dark, and full of unlikable characters (with just a few exceptions). Coaster-Waldau is likable in the film, I think, but it's clear that he's done some really bad things in his past. I really wanted to root for him, and I did, but the movie is more of a tragedy than anything else actually. It's frustrating to see how some people just can't get things right, no matter how hard they try, and how positive their intentions are. That's the genius of this film, and it does a pretty good job of telling that story.