Small Engine Repair

Never heard of this film til last night and I have to say I enjoyed it.

An interesting drama following the lives of three friends their relationship and their issues. One thing this film does fantastically well is dialogue. The writing is phenomenal which is important considering how heavy in dialogue this film is. There is very little to no action and relies heavily on the acting and chemistry of these actors. Fortunately though the three leads Jon Bernthal, Shae Whigham, and John Pollono all deliver great performances.

Though all these positives aside this film falls apart for me in where as very little to nothing happens. When the plot finally begins to come to a head it leaves something to be desired.

While this was a very well done film it took to long for things to finally happen and when things finally did happen the pay off wasn't all that rewarding.

IMDb: 7/10 Letterboxd: 3/5

Watched on Hulu.

Read through some of the more negative reviews and a common interpretation emerges; a tale of toxic masculinity.

This is really a story of childhood shared amongst three best friends who eventually grow up to help raise one the three's daughter through tough times.

It's a tale of unwavering support by friends through the darkest days from childhood to adulthood. We all have those friends that would do anything for us and us for them, it's something boys cherish and men hold on to. It's a story of that.

Watch this with an open mind, a sense of dark humor, and some humility; yes, it may offend you at times, but appreciate that some actions change lives forever and that some loyalties run thicker than blood shared but rather blood spilled.

This movie has great actors and the chemistry between them strong. The story is heavy dialogue but it keeps the story on point. This one is a slow build that is worth watching. It really surprises me, which rarely happens with movies.

I don't understand the ultra-low or the ultra-high reviews. It's a very good script about family, violence, regret, redemption etc. Could it have been better? Yes. Maybe 20-minutes shorter with better editing, but for crying-out-loud, it's far above virtually everything on network television or comic book movies.

For the first third of the film, I kept thinking "I know where this is going because the trailer completely gave it away, so just get there, movie!" And then the movie goes paces completely not hinted at in the trailer.

I think some people may skip this because it seems like the trailer tells you everything. That is unfortunate because despite what the trailer implies, this is not your straight-forward "Avenge a loved one" narrative.

As for the film specifics, the acting is incredible, the writing and dialogue is believable and smooth, the setting is also believable and realistic. Everything from a film-making perspective was very well done. The characters are so easy to love, and each has a great back story. I think that it is a formidable example of masculinity, at a time where many of the male characters in films are one-dimensional, toxic and unapologetic. These 3 men are rough-around-the-edges, but also sweet, smart, courageous and genuine. I really loved the 3 male leads.

This film was tense, thrilling, sad at times, funny at times and always engaging. When it deviates from what the trailer implied, it became more engaging, and as the story plays out, I loved it more with every passing second.

I will be watching this film again, and definitely be recommending it.