THE PLOT THUS FAR
A young guy decides to skip college in favor of joining his father’s on the lot of his used-car business.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Small Time” is a feature from Joel Surnow. Surnow is known for being the co-creator of “24”, but you won’t get any Jack Bauer style hi-jinks here. This is a film about fathers and sons. Building relationships in a world that is familiar yet alien to those that don’t sell used cars. These guys are scum sharks and we get to see what happens when a father thinks he sold his kid out by having him work there. I’ve had to work with these people before on outside work and “Small Time” nails the mindset.
Watching your parentage ruin a kid is heavy stuff for a light-hearted movie. Chris Meloni doesn’t have a fake turn of heart, but he tries to steer his kid to some sort of collegiate aspirations, while trying to save the fake sanctity of his world. It’s a tricky balancing act that leaves one wondering if anything they do is the right thing, since they’ve already committed to a lie. Unfortunately, the commentary track with Surnow didn’t really help me out with the underlying point of the film. That being said, I enjoyed the acting from a cast that rarely gets enough play. Dean Norris and Christopher Meloni are talented individuals who deserve more work than what they’re getting. Great effort from Joel Surnow and I’d like to see what he knocks down next. Well, everything but 24. Sorry, Chloe!
The Blu-Ray comes with a commentary as the sole special feature. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is really crisp for a film like this. The dialogue is never dropped, but you get a rather underwhelming soundstage for the home theater enthusiasts. The 1080p transfer is impeccable. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious.
RELEASE DATE: 06/03/2014