Reviewed by A Legally Black Blog
“Smallman” places the viewer in the perspective of Richard Rawlins himself, who delivers the film’s voice-over narration. Periodically, he’s shown looking at an item that meant something to his father in some shape or form, whether it be a toy, a photo, a Birth Certificate or even a letter of bad news (like in one of the film’s best shots, a still of which I provided below). Though these items are obviously familiar to Richard, it oftentimes feels as if (along with the viewer who is only now learning about Kenwyn’s life) Richard is looking at them with new eyes – or should I say grown-up eyes – as if he’s trying to understand the thoughts, actions and motivations of his father. In one scene, for example, where we see a younger Kenwyn in his military uniform, Richard says via narration, “When I look at those pictures with him in Jamaica, I get the sense that he felt he’d found his place in the world”. Read more here…
