Smalltime

 ((BRITISH))

By DEREK ELLEY

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A Big Arty Prods. production, in association with BFI Projects Fund. (International sales: British Film Institute, London.) Produced by Shane Meadows. Executive producers, Steve Brookes, Peter Carlton. Co-producer, Dominic Dillon. Directed, written by Shane Meadows.
 

Judging by its Toronto reception, North American auds should have no trouble with the lingo, and the slacker-like characters behavior translates into any language. Theres also more here than meets the eye: Beyond the upfront sex jokes and larking around, Meadows shows a keen eye for social tensions, especially in his own character, Jumbo, whos basically a thuggish oaf on a very short fuse. No-name cast is aces, with Smiles especially good as the exasperated Kate. Shot for a mere $ 8,000, the hourlong feature is going around in a package with Meadows earlier 13-minute B&W short, Wheres the Money, Ronnie!, about a bunch of bungling, penny-ante mobsters.

Camera (color), John Arnold; editor, Meadows; music, Gavin Clarke; sound, Debbie Tuck, Nigel Heath. Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival, Sept. 10, 1996. (Also in Edinburgh Film Festival.) Running time: 60 MIN.
 

With: Mat Hand, Dena Smiles, Shane Meadows, Gena Kawecka, Jimmy Hynd. Part embryonic Mike Leigh, part joyful celebration of no-budget filmmaking, Smalltime could herald a big-time British talent if one-man band Shane Meadows can make the transition without losing his freshness. This gangling portrait of a group of losers and their wives has an infectious, laddish humor and gift for character observation; its already made a small mark on the festival circuit and could translate into specialized sales. Neighbors Malc (Mat Hand) and Jumbo (Meadows) are nickel-and-dime crooks who steal from the rich and sell half-price to the poor, while their wives, Kate (Dena Smiles) and Ruby (Gena Kawecka), drink tea and gossip. Kate cant stand the brutish Jumbo (who regularly beats up on Ruby) and resents the time Malc spends with him; when she finally persuades Malc to spend an evening together with some acquaintances, Jumbo gate-crashes the soiree, to everyones embarrassment. Things climax in a half-assed robbery organized by the lads. Set in Nottinghamshire, central England, the film makes much of its rough, Midlands, working-class humor, liberally dosed with salty, four-letter dialogue.