6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
An alcoholic ex-cop (Hawkes) finds the body of a young woman and, through an act of self-redemption, becomes hell-bent on finding the killer but unwittingly puts his family in danger and gets caught up with several dark characters along the way.
Starring: John Hawkes, Octavia Spencer, Robert Forster, Anthony Anderson, Clifton Collins Jr.Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
One of the most time honored (some curmudgeons might say time worn) tropes in films involving cops is police guys (or gals, in fact) who for one reason or the other have either lost their badge or been put on suspension, but who continue to investigate this or that case nonetheless. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, I reviewed Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, one of the higher profile releases of last year, and one which does indeed feature a subplot involving a (disgraced) cop who keeps poking around trying to solve a case even after he’s been fired. But Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is far from the only film I’ve personally reviewed to offer at least a subplot featuring this particular plot conceit, and to that already long list Small Town Crime needs to be added. It’s perhaps even more commendable, then, that this showcase for John Hawkes manages to avoid at least some of the clichés which may be virtually unavoidable when structuring a story with this element. Hawkes portrays Mike Kendall, a former cop whose alcoholism has proven his downfall (though some may question the logic of at least part of the actual “firable” offense utilized in the film, since it seems kind of odd). Mike spends his day knocking back brews and working out (an odd combo platter, to be sure), while also hoping that some miracle will allow him to regain his former employment status. He does go out looking for work, but he repeatedly undercuts his chances of getting hired by sharing (no doubt intentionally) his battles with alcohol. After a pretty serious bender with his best buddy and brother-in-law Teddy Banks (Anthony Anderson), Mike wakes up in a field full of garbage and stumbles back to his car. Almost instantly, though, he discovers another body out in the field, and perhaps incredibly it’s in even worse shape than Mike himself. He scoops up a badly beaten woman and drives her to an emergency room, where a day or so later, she expires.
Small Town Crime is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb lists the Sony CineAlta F55 as having digitally captured the imagery, and my birth state of Utah looks rather scenic throughout the film, with some really gorgeous shots of the ever present Wasatch Range often providing a backdrop to some "less than gorgeous" characters. Aside from a few isolated scenes, including some relatively brief flashbacks, which have been graded toward kind of sickly looking yellows, the palette looks nicely fresh and natural. While there are some relatively dimly lit interior shots, detail levels rarely if ever falter, and the more brightly lit outdoor moments (which are plentiful) offer typically excellent fine detail levels. The BD-50 provides ample real estate for the film and the not overly numerous supplements (several of which are audio in the term of commentaries), and as such there are no compression challenges encountered.
Small Town Crime features an intermittently boisterous sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, one that derives considerable energy and surround impact from elements like Mike screeching around town in his muscle car, something that offers both good panning activity and even some surprising LFE when he guns the engine. The climax of this film is almost cartoonish as an insane amount of gunfire breaks out, and that sequence also offers a glut of well placed channelization, along with bursts of sonic energy as various guns are shot. Some isolated club and/or bar scenes also have a nice splay of elements in terms of crowd sounds or background ambient environmental effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout the presentation.
Small Town Crime provides a real showcase for Hawkes, and his performance helps elevate the film above some its more clichéd aspects. A colorful supporting cast rounds out a story you've probably seen before in one way or the other, but never quite like this. Perhaps the film has a few too many colorful supporting characters, though, meaning that some expert performers like Octavia Spencer and Anthony Anderson, playing more relatively "normal" types, have limited opportunities to really strut their stuff. Technical merits are first rate, and Small Town Crime comes Recommended.
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