Review of Small Apartments (2012) by Michael B — 20 Feb 2013

This is a little hit indeed and the plot grabbed my attention since it takes place in Los Angeles, albeit a depressing, sad looking and cheap apartment complex, where the tenants' lives are just as miserable as the complex.

Franklin Franklin (Matt Lucas) is an obese, misfit dreamer hoping to visit Switzerland one day. He is tired of LA and the miserable existence he leads. His brother Bernard (J. Marsden) is at a mental clinic and daily sends Franklin a cassette to help him cope with life's challenges.

Franklin's other neighbors are a piece of work: the pot head, the wannabe Vegas stripper, the nosy guy, but Franklin's biggest problem is the dead landlord, Mr. Olivetti, laying down on his kitchen floor.

Desperate to erase any evidence of a crime, Franklin follows his talking dog's advice and tries to make it look like a suicide, leading to a series of darkly comic complications involving a fire investigator (Billy Crystal) who smells foul play.

The best part of this film: its ENDING because it was a surprise and teaches you something valuable so do not miss it and rent it!