The movie was written and directed by brothers Ian and Eshom Nelms, who must have thumbed through a few Elmore Leonard paperbacks in their day; their movie offers a similar mix of cagey plotting, easygoing character comedy, and punchy violence.

The movie's tone never quite gels; it's too outlandish and cartoony to convince, but not so outlandish and cartoony that it takes off into a realm of over-the-top exhilaration.

There are enough nice touches and details along the way - including Clifton Collins Jr. as an old school R&B-loving pimp - to make up for its shortcomings.

If you’re a fan of The Long Goodbye but wish everything about it was broader and more bland, then Small Town Crime surely is for you!