Small Apartments

Small Apartments is a dark comedy film released in 2012, directed by Jonas Åkerlund and boasts a line-up filled up with some of the most versatile stalwarts in the industry, including charismatic Matt Lucas, profound Peter Stormare, and seasoned veteran James Caan, amongst many others.

The plot plunges us into the disordered life of the film's protagonist Franklin Franklin, played with a calculated blend of eccentricity and naivety by Matt Lucas. Franklin is an eccentric, socially awkward recluse living in a rundown apartment complex somewhere in the vast city of Los Angeles. He dwells in a squalid studio apartment, his refuge from the outside world and a canvas on which his unusual habits play out. Matt Lucas succeeds tremendously in creating a resonance with the character, implementing a balanced and complex presentation of an isolated individual lost in his world of peculiarity and eccentricity.

In the heart of Franklin's chaos, he inadvertently stumbles into the role of a murderer. This unexpected twist catalyzes a comedy of errors which acts as the core around which the tapestry of the film’s story unfurls. The complexities and hilarity of this situation that Franklin finds himself in are juxtaposed with his bizarre, almost ritual-like daily routines, which are centered around consuming large quantities of soda, playing the alpenhorn, and dreaming up plans to escape to his imagined utopia, Switzerland.

Around this nucleus, there is a constellation of characters each with their own quirks, weaving a colorful canvas of human idiosyncrasies. Peter Stormare, straying from his typical alignment with antagonistic roles, plays Burt Walnut, a somewhat exhausted investigator and reportedly the only 'normal' person in the building. Veteran James Caan wraps himself convincingly into the character of Mr. Allspice, adding another flavor to the multifaceted ensemble.

Franklin’s neighbors are no less peculiar than our protagonist. They are a motley crew, including a recluse played by Johnny Knoxville, a temperamental artist portrayed by James Marsden, a charismatic Call girl played by Juno Temple, and a pair of optimistic stoners played by DJ Qualls and Rebel Wilson. Each of these quirky characters interacts with Franklin in unpredictable ways, further driving the chaos and unpredictable humor throughout the film.

The storytelling in Small Apartments displays an artful symmetry between outlandish humor and a bleak reflection of loneliness, that effectively avoids becoming overly grim or absurdly cartoonish. The grimy yet saturated visuals created by the director Jonas Åkerlund resonate perfectly with the story's paradoxically vibrant melancholy. He expertly navigates the weird landscapes of the narrative, expressing the absurdist humor and the grim realities of loneliness with equal resolve.

Written by Chris Millis and based on his own novel, the screenplay of Small Apartments boasts oddly humorous dialogues and intelligently crafts a narrative which seamlessly switches from moments of eccentric comedy to profound examinations of life and isolation.

The soundtrack, too, deserves a mention for how it underscores the journey of the protagonist. It has been composed by Per Gessle, member of the Swedish pop duo, Roxette. With its quirky, sometimes instrumental tunes, it matches perfectly with the blend of absurdity and melancholia that this film is infused with.

Small Apartments is thus, a uniquely absurd yet poignant exploration of loneliness and eccentricity in the urban landscape, where its ensemble cast each delivers standout performances. Franklin’s oddity, tantrums, vices, dreams, and his spontaneous plunge into criminality, are all depicted with an ironic humor that is witty, edgy, and strangely touching at the same time. As viewers navigate through the chaotic labyrinth of Franklin’s life, they may find themselves laughing, cringing and pondering, all in the same moment. The blend of slapstick comedy, dark humor, and poignant moments capture the spectrum of absurdity that life often offers, making Small Apartments a must-watch for audiences seeking something different from normal mainstream cinema.