An imperfect, yet worthwhile addition to the genre.
I’m so happy that the newly-released indie feature Small Town Crime has finally given John Hawkes the role he deserves. The actor has marvelously carved out a stellar career as a character actor. Whether adding color to his brief appearance as Freddie Prinze Jr.’s buddy in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, providing comic relief as a shady motel manager in Identity, delivering pathos as a janitor in Contagion, or bringing complexity to the part of an abusive husband in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Hawkes is the kind of actor incapable of bringing anything less than his considerable best to whatever role he’s given. It’s only fitting then that Hawkes, in a rare leading role, should give one of his most brilliant turns to date. Despite some problems with this neo-noir tale, this is totally the kind of role and film John Hawkes deserves; and he makes it work every step of the way.
In Small Town Crime, alcoholic ex-cop Mike (Hawkes) is trying to put his life back together after his addiction ended his career. When his latest bender results in him waking up in the desert where he comes upon the discovery of the body of a dead young woman, Mike finds himself drawn into a trail of small town corruption and murder.
There are few elements of Small Town Crime which plainly fail to work in the way its makers would like them to. This is generally the case when it comes to films aiming to follow in the footsteps of such a specific and beloved genre. In spite of its involving story and an assortment of characters which are genuinely diverting enough to watch, there’s just a tad of finesse missing from the writing/directing team of Eshom and Ian Nelms. This is especially true in the film’s second half, which switches gears from a character study to a plot-driven shoot ’em up affair. Beyond this, there’s too much light (both physical and emotional) within Small Town Crime for a film of its kind. The film tends to favor a few too many humorous bits of dialogue. At the same time, the film opts for an abundance of daytime scenes, more than any noir should be allowed to the point where one wonders if everyone just stops being bad when the sun goes down.
Still, there’s an appreciation for the act and art of noir storytelling which carries Small Town Crime and proves undeniably strong. Its side characters, their actions, and the film’s various twists all point to this. However, the most sterling example of Small Town Crime’s noir inspirations can be found in its central character. Mike is a solid and well-written noir figure; an anti-hero who feels not only real, but deceptively complex. One gets the feeling that Mike’s self-destructive ways stem from his feeling of never belonging to any one world as a result of being put up for adoption as a child. For Mike, solving the case he’s been unexpectedly presented with means a re-introduction into the field that’s helped define him and give him purpose. Yet there’s the idea that solving it also represents redemption as well as closure for Mike given how he let his vice overtake him to the point where it, not his skill, began to define him. It’s Mike’s second chance, and nothing will stop him from seizing it.
Most of the parts he’s given are more or less gimmies for an actor of Hawkes’s caliber. Because of this, any screenwriter or director wholly committed to a project wants an actor like Hawkes. The actor approaches his character without judgment or apology, but rather with an empathy and curiosity which makes all the difference. The result is a great showcase for the actor who is given a fitting spotlight with which to exercise his proven talent. As a result, the rest of the ensemble has little to do but try to not get in the way of their leading man. Yet Octavia Spencer as Mike’s sister, Anthony Anderson as his best friend, and Robert Forster as the dead girl’s grandfather all turn in credible work. The one exception is the usually solid Michael Vartan as Mike’s former partner, who can’t help but come off as bland as a result of his character’s limited storyline.
As a film, what really stands out about Small Town Crime is how it ultimately show the universality of the noir genre in both literal and figurative ways. While its characters belong squarely in the world of film noir, its desolate small town setting goes against the grain when compared to the traditional metropolitan landscape such stories are typically set in. I’m sure that the switching up of setting might’ve had something to do with budget concerns. Yet there’s a feeling that this was likewise done to serve the film’s story in ways somewhat deeper than serving as the film’s title. The setting in Small Town Crime shows how the core elements of film noir — crime, greed, money, jealousy and an overall darkness of the soul — have the ability to reach anywhere, including, and especially, the safety of a small town.
