SMALL FACES
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.5 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
United Kingdom, 1995 U.S. Release Date: beginning 9/96 (limited) Running Length: 1:48 MPAA Classification: R (Violence, language, brief nudity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Ian Robertson, Joseph McFadden, J.S. Duffy, Laura Fraser, Garry Sweeney, Claire Higgins, Kevin McKidd, Mark McConnochie Director: Gillies MacKinnon Producers: Steve Clark-Hall and Billy MacKinnon Screenplay: Billy MacKinnon and Gillies MacKinnon Cinematography: John de Borman Music: John E. Keane U.S. Distributor: October Films
SMALL FACES, Gillies MacKinnon's first feature after turning away from Hollywood (his previous film, A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE, was the SILAS MARNER modernization starring Steve Martin), brings the director back to the kind of small, personal story he feels most comfortable with. According to MacKinnon, while in Hollywood, "I began to have a sense of losing roots... as if my strength was drawn from something within my past, that I was moving away from that and I had to go back."
In examining SMALL FACES, three things stand out. The first is that, despite a fairly unambitious storyline, the film retains a large element of unpredictability. Because it eschews cliches and formulas typical to "coming of age" stories, it's difficult for the viewer to guess what's going to happen and how certain situations will be resolved. Secondly, when the movie ended, I was a little disappointed - - not because there's anything inherently dissatisfying about the conclusion, but because I would have enjoyed spending more time with these characters. Finally, despite the accents, this isn't another TRAINSPOTTING.
SMALL FACES opens in 1968 Glasgow and introduces us to the brothers MacLean. There are three of them: thirteen year old Lex (Ian Robertson), who's our guide through the story; sixteen year old Alan (Joseph McFadden), an introspective, budding artist; and eighteen year old Bobby (J.S. Duffy), an illiterate ruffian who runs with a gang. The boys' father is dead, so they live alone with their mother, Lorna (Claire Higgins). As gang warfare intensifies in Govanhill, Lex and Alan are unwittingly drawn into the conflict because of their brother's association, and they soon find themselves caught between the sadistic leader of Bobby's group, Charlie Sloan (Garry Sweeney), and the head of the rival Tongs, Malky Johnson (Kevin McKidd).
SMALL FACES starts out oddly. The first twenty minutes are jumpy and disjointed, and, at times, it's difficult to sort out characters and circumstances. Once we've resolved the complexities of Lex's home life and the nature of the gang friction (not to mention who's in which gang), things clear up considerably, and MacKinnon's story begins to flow. Lex is a splendid lead character: smart, stubborn, and passionate, yet, largely because of his age, impotent in the face of the wave of violence that threatens to drown his family.
SMALL FACES gets the details right, which is largely why it works. Small, apparently-innocent actions, like firing a pellet gun, set major events in motion. Seemingly unimportant characters, like Lex's older friend, Gorbals (Mark McConnochie), play critical roles. Alan's relationship with a local girl is developed perfectly, with an eye towards realism rather than sentimentality. And there are several stark, memorable images like a streak of crimson on a background of white ice after a bloody body has been dragged across it.
Other than Claire Higgins, who does a fine job portraying a mother who can't protect her sons, the major players are relative unknowns. Ian Robertson's performance as Lex reflects the reality of being thirteen -- he thinks he's brave and smart enough to do anything until the time comes for him to take action. As Alan, Joseph McFadden fashions a sympathetic character -- a somewhat naive boy who wants nothing to do with the violence around him, but who can't escape it. Then there's Laura Fraser, the strikingly appealing actress to play Alan's girlfriend, Joanne.
SMALL FACES shows the personal, often-tragic toll of gang violence. Though it takes place during another decade in another country, MacKinnon's movie has universal implications. For, while the causes of such violence may differ from culture to culture, the inevitable consequences, both physical and emotional, are familiar. We can identify with what these characters are feeling. Ultimately, this movie is less about the situation than the people who are trapped by it, and that simple, human element provides SMALL FACES with its core strength.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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