SMALL TIME, BIG HEART

Every once in a while a small film is released that goes unnoticed by most and yet deserves so much more attention than many of the flashier big name titles that tend to take up 3-4 screens at the local multiplex. Often these films are filled with heart and emotion and steer clear of all the combinations of mega-explosions and special effects. They are films to be treasured and sought out. So let me guide you to one called SMALL TIME.

Christopher Maloni stars as Al Klein, a used car salesman who's feeling older with each passing day. Along with his best friend Ash Martini (Dean Norris) they do great business at the lot. But it's his personal life that Al finds upsetting, filled with regrets. None of those is bigger than the life he couldn't provide for his ex-wife (Bridget Moynihan) and son Freddy (Devon Bostick).

On his son's graduation day from high school, Al and Ash try to make sure they're there on time. Alas it isn't so but, being the great salesmen they are, they fake their way through it. A clear bond between Al and his son is shown here in subtle ways that only deepen as the film moves forward. This is plain to see when Freddy shows up to talk to Al about the possibility of going to work for him. While his mother wants him to go to college, he feels he can learn more about the real world working for his father.

While the parents disagree on this concept, his mother ends up allowing him to follow through with the plan. Freddy moves in with Al and the two find themselves catching up on lost time. His first days at the car lot are filled with mistakes and fumbles and a few lost sales. But this turns as his time at the lot progresses.

But as Freddy's sales skills increase so does his disrespect for the people he deals with as well as those around him. Al seems to be the only one who notices this. Having lost the only thing that mattered to him all those years ago, is he willing to let Freddy fall into the same lifestyle that costs him what was most important to him?

The movie has a calm cool atmosphere to it, moving along at a steady pace that allows the story to unfold in a manner that suits it well. Some might see the change in Freddy as fast but in truth it's just that the storytelling going on here is so seamless that it only feels that way. The combination of script, directing and acting come together here so perfectly fit that it feels the movie is over before it began. It leaves you wishing you could see what happens down the line.

The three male leads here all do an amazing job. Meloni is a master of playing things close to the chest, never revealing all that his character has going on inside of his mind with wasted words. Instead he offers ponderous gazes that convey everything we need to know. Norris turns in another great performance to match those of the past with his character being the more brazen and fun loving of the two. Ash is not someone looking down the line at what is to come but only in the here and now. Al and Ash are two sides of the coin that combine to make a single unit. Both have something to offer Freddy. The problem is Freddy realizing which is the most important and that the two can co-exist and should with neither wiping out the other. Bostick as Freddy does an equally great job with his character making him timid at first only to find himself swelling with far too much hubris later on.

Another great thing about this movie is the film's director and writer, Joel Surnow. Known by most for his creation of the series 24 he's also been a writer for years having worked on THE EQUALIZER, FALCON CREST, LA FEMME NIKITA, THE COMMISH and MIAMI VICE. Now he takes a turn at something a little different and does an amazing job.

There are plenty of laughs in this film and a number of tender moments as well. It's that combination of the two that make this a film worth watching. It's a film that could be shared between a father and son that would lead to a great conversation. It might have not been a box office smash, but it is a movie that needs to be seen.

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