Sparks fly in raw, provocative drama not easily forgotten
If “Small Engine Repair” comes across as a David Mamet-esque film based on a stage play, that’s because “Small Engine Repair” is a David Mamet-esque film based on a stage play — and in the hands of writerdirector-star John Pollono, it’s a searing and raw and provocative viewing experience that might leave some viewers shaken due to the intense content but never comes across as exploitative. It’s a darkly funny, authentic and unforgettable piece of work.
Pollono is best known for his roles on “Mob City” and
“This Is Us,” but he’s also an accomplished playwright and screenwriter. He wrote and starred in the stage production of “Small Engine Repair” some 10 years ago, and the cinematic adaptation is finally here, with Pollono and the magnetic Jon Bernthal (“The Walking Dead,” “The Punisher”) reprising their roles in the first-rate ensemble cast.
“Small Engine Repair” is about three lifelong friends in their 40s who talk tough, act tough and truly are tough — and often behave like idiots, especially after a long night (or day) of drinking.
Pollono is a dominant screen presence as Frank Romanoski, the most alpha of these three alpha males, who would be the first to tell you he’s done basically one good thing in his life, and that’s raising his 18-year-old daughter Crystal (Ciara Bravo), who has the foul-mouthed swagger of her dad and her friends but is also a bright and lovely and sweet girl who will soon be going off to college. Bernthal’s macho lothario Terrance Swaino and Shea Whigham’s undersized and relatively sensitive Packie Hanrahan have always been there for Crystal as well, while Crystal’s hard-partying mother Karen (Jordana Spiro) has been AWOL for most of Crystal’s life.
Writer-director Pollono has a keen ear for dialogue and a good eye for workingclass visuals, and he has the confidence in his material to let “Small Engine Repair” slowly build to its ultimate destination. The
first half of the film is all about establishing the relationship dynamic between Frank, Swaino and Packie, who alternate between clinking glasses and sharing stories and getting into disputes so heated they’ll stop talking to one another for months. Meanwhile, Karen has decided she’s going to drop back into Crystal’s life and take her out for a night on the town, and let’s just say it doesn’t end with tender moments and reconciliation.
The dramatic stakes are raised considerably when Frank tells the boys he’s recently been playing pick-up basketball with a college kid named Chad (Spencer House), and Chad will be stopping by to drop off some drugs so they can kick the night into the next gear. Within minutes of Chad’s arrival we can see this guy is the prototypical “bro,” from his haircut and attire to his casually dismissive attitude to the story he tells about … well, we don’t want to give away anything about that story, other than to say it’s the first indication Chad hasn’t the faintest idea of why he’s really been invited to the repair shop.
Before the night is over, crimes will be committed and loyalties will be tested, and “Small Engine Repair” will dive into subject matter that is raw and rough and controversial.
In less skilled hands, this could have come across as cynical and manipulative material, but Pollono is such a skilled wordsmith and the cast is so universally excellent, “Small Engine Repair” becomes a viewing experience you won’t easily shake off, not today and not for a long time.