I was on the fence about whether or not to see 'Fatman' (I can't stand Christmas movies unless they are very dark and well done) so I decided to check out the filmmaker's previous film from 2017 'Small Town Crime'. I was immediately impressed. Almost from the word go I knew this was my kind of film. There was a dark humour about the film, but it also took itself seriously enough that it felt like anything could happen and nothing was off the cards. The balance between humour and drama in this film was nearly perfect.
The main character in this story is one of those rare breeds, where you know they are vile and the scum of the earth, but you are also on their side and rooting for them because they manage to be likeable despite it. Credit goes to John Hawkes for his fine work here. Robert Forster in this film is such a nice a touch. He has such a natural charisma on screen. His performances will be sorely missed. Anthony Anderson and Octavia Spencer are also in this film. They were some casting choices I think the movie could have done without. I don't think they had enough of a part to play in the movie to justify their star-power. I feel like lesser-known actors could have filled those roles and it may have even added to the film.
The villains in this film were well done as well. Nothing over the top or scene-stealing, however they had more than enough screen-presence and menace to be a big positive for the film. Some of the dialogue in the film was exceptionally well done. There is one scene where a character speaks about the difference between a hawk and an eagle which I particularly enjoyed. There was a lot to like about 'Small Town Crime' and if it slipped past your radar like it did mine then I would highly recommend going back to check it out.
