Small Time Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Small Time Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 14, 2015

A small time away from the grind of life can make a big difference. Writer/Director Joel Surnow's (24) Small Time takes a simple yet intimate look at lives reconnected, new directions explored, and life lessons learned, all through the intimate prism of a tiny little used car lot. The film follows a young man in search of purpose as he explores life away from the expected linear path while also reconciling with a father he never knew as well as he wished. The movie is also about how the journey off the pre-paved path can lead right back to it, can expose the bumps in the road, can demonstrate that life is more than manipulation or working a system but finding an inner voice that's shaped by experience and a greater understanding of how the world works, not just taken at face value or implanted by others who think they know best. It's a simple film with an accessible but smart message, good characters, a great cast, and an effortless flow that altogether make it well worth a look.

Closing a deal.

Freddy Klein (Devon Bostick) is graduating high school. His mother Barbara (Bridget Moynahan) and step-father Chick (Xander Berkeley) insist that he go to college. But he has different plans. He wants to explore, take his time, figure out what's what in his life, and he wants to do that with his biological father Al (Christopher Meloni), a used car salesman who works alongside longtime friend Martini (Dean Norris). Freddy and his father hit it off immediately. Freddy's isn't the world's best car salesman -- he's pretty bad, actually -- but he learns the ropes and slowly graduates to his father's and Martini's level of wheeling-and-dealing. Has Freddy found his calling, or does some other life beckon?

There's an interesting juxtaposition at play in Small Time whereby the story is a full-circle sort of affair that champions freedom from a set path but at the same time isn't afraid to consider that perhaps that original, preplanned journey might have been the best way to go through life after all. It's a movie about finding oneself and discovering that what works for one may not work for another, but, opposite that, also discovering that what works for one may very well indeed be the best path for another to get through life. Everyone's different -- even if they're from the same blood -- and the movie explores the ins and outs of family intersecting with life and the idea that even as things can be very much the same, they can be very much different, too. It's not as convoluted as it sounds, but it is fairly profound if in a basic sort of way. It's smart but simple, sharing the story of a healthy journey, believable and honest relationships, and an exploration of the way that life works and doesn't work. It's about individual drive and perspective, not about following in footsteps. It's about making the life one wants, whether that coincides with what someone else wants or not. The movie explores these ideas with charm and an easy flow that makes it accessible and welcome to audiences by way of its effortlessly constructed characters and thoughtful, but not overdone, journey through a snapshot of life.

The film certainly shines as an easy but thoughtful glimpse into one young adult's crossroads thanks to the fine work of Joel Surnow's pen, but the movie comes together under the chemistry of its cast. Leads Christopher Meloni, Devon Bostick, and Dean Norris are terrific. Each brings an authenticity to their respective parts, a very deep sense of character and their longstanding relationships. They nail the sleazy used car salesman angle, but they don't make themselves caricatures. They're carefully developed individuals, not walking stereotypes. The film uses the car lot angle to its character explorative advantage, not as a crutch or as a source of needless humor. Merloni and Bostick are particularly impressive vis-à-vis their range of internal emotions and the external way in which they carry themselves, in how they naturally bond, in how their time together shapes their outlooks on life, both what they see in one another and what they see when they look in the mirror. Both their smartly shaped and naturally flowing characters and performances dominate the movie in a good way, accentuating everything it does well and masking what few little shortcomings there are. The film also enjoys a stellar supporting cast that includes Kevin Nealon, Amaury Nolasco, and a trio of Surnow's 24 alums in Gregory Itzin, Xander Berkeley, and Carlo Rota.

Small Time Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Small Time's 1080p transfer may not hang with the big boys, but it's an accomplished image in its own right. The digital shoot, even with a light glossiness which leaves things mildly flat, presents viewers with an effortlessly sharp image and able to enjoy all of the large and small appointments in the dealership that are presented with easy clarity and natural definition down to the finer points. Broader facial and clothing elements reveal intimate textures as well. Colors are natural and evenly presented, with nothing going too warm, too bright, or too pale, covering everything from cars to clothes. Neither skin tones nor black levels present any cause for concern. Light aliasing is evident on some chrome accents on cars on the lot, but there's nothing else worth noting in terms of eyesores. This is a rock-solid effort from Anchor Bay.

Small Time Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Small Time features a basic Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The surrounds are left largely with nothing to do, idling away as the fronts carry the bulk of music and effects. Music is well spaced across the front, and while it's not the pinnacle of lifelike clarity and precision detail, it plays with solid fundamental sonic detailing through the entire range. Light support sounds, like passing traffic or restaurant din, also linger through the front but do a fair job of recreating the film's environments. Dialogue, which is the main ingredient here, is center-focused and presents with nary a hiccup.

Small Time Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Small Time contains only an audio commentary with Writer/Director Joel Surnow and Actors Christopher Meloni and Dean Norris.

Small Time Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Small Time is a great little movie that takes a simple approach to some of life's most difficult choices. It's a film about family, self-discovery, making amends, and making the best out of what life has to offer. There's a nice, very light underlying humor to parts of the film, and the cast is spectacular in all facets. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray offers solid video, decent audio, and a commentary track. Recommended.