Chop Shop is Movie Making at its Best
Added 9/9/2009
This is one of those films every young "child, teenager and young adult male" should definitely watch, it is inspiring in my opinion to every mother who has a young son. This is definitely one of those "must see" films to watch over and over again. My heart was so compelled I wanted to adult the lead character...he's absolutely adorable and the quality of acting/naturalness goes well beyond his years or any traing from your big budget school's of acting and such. Great storyling, writing and video from start to finish. Loved it loved it.
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A movie that can change you for a long time, maybe permanently
Added 5/27/2009
This is only my second Amazon movie review, and I was compelled to write it because this is one of the best movies I've ever seen. That of course means that all the usual elements of movie making (writing, acting, directing, etc.) are handled with excellence but, more importantly, this movie can deeply touch and move you in ways that you can't even fully grasp, and the effect can be long lasting (it has been for me). To be sure, this isn't a feel-good movie, but something subtly positive can still be found in it (see below).
I won't get into the details of the plot or characters, since I think it's really better that you come to the movie with minimal preconceptions and let things unfold and connect naturally. Let me instead just mention some of the general themes and lessons I drew from the movie, and that will hopefully tell you something useful without saying too much.
Most obviously, the movie shows, in a vivid yet nuanced way, just how difficult life can be in the poorer parts of urban America, to the point where even basic survival is a daily challenge and utter despair would be an understandable response. Yet we find that the human instinct is to push on and persevere, and we see that part of this instinct involves an ability to find a space for moments of simple and genuine happiness, sustained friendship and love, and even hope against all odds. In other words, we humans can often prove to be fairly resilient and even humane in circumstances that seemingly should reduce us to brutes. And therein lies the capacity of the movie to subtly uplift us: we learn, by example, about both empathy and facing the challenges in our own lives.
If the above observations don't seem so special, please blame me, not the movie, since I really can't do justice to this masterpiece. And, in a way, I don't quite blame myself either, since any truly great movie should accomplish something which goes well beyond what a reviewer can describe, summarize, or even critique. This is just such a movie, so I would urge you to experience it without hesitation. The only prerequisites are a perceptive eye, an open mind, and a sensitive heart.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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A question of taste
Added 4/24/2009
Chop Shop will not be to everyone's taste. Meticulously and beautifully shot, it (as the English teachers say) lacks steady advance. It has a beginning, but not really much of a middle and end. A slice-of-life, apparent-but-not-real documentary, it concerns a 12 year-old boy who works in an auto repair shop in the shadow of Shea Stadium. His sole intention at this point in his life is to support himself and his older sister and keep their family together. This hope is briefly threatened but then resolved, favorably. If you enjoy watching a human relationship under trying circumstances, you will enjoy Chop Shop. If you like a more conventional narrative with standard plot arcs you will find it very slow. Nearly each shot is the result of 30-50 takes and even though the sets are limited and somewhat claustrophobic, the attention to cinematic detail is clear.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Ramin Bahrani Becoming An Auteur
Added 2/1/2009
Director, Auteur, Ramin Bahrani in Italian Neo Realism fashion carries his street vendor/ canteen truck motif from Man Push Cart along with his take on the lower class struggling for the "American Dream" on the streets which prove to be every bit as competitive as the board room without the luxuries.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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A searing, honest portrait of inner city life
Added 12/3/2008
As with his previous film, "Man Push Cart," director Ramin Bahrani paints a bracingly honest portrait of immigrant life on the economic edges of New York City. In "Chop Shop" we meet two orphaned children, energetic, enterprising Alejandro, and his older sister Isi, who he takes care of more than she takes care of him. At the start of the film, Ale is out on the streets, working any angles he can think of to find food or small change. When an opportunity for work (and a place to stay) arises, he seizes it instantly, and swiftly settles into a position as an assistant in a low-rent auto garage in New York's "Iron Triangle", where dozens of so-called "chop shops" compete for business with an endless stream of beat-up old cars. Alejandro winds up in one of the more honest shops, living in a cramped space above the garage floor, learning the tools of the trade and using his considerable charisma and self-confidence to steer potential customers into the front door.
"Chop Shop" shares several themes with Bahrani's earlier masterpiece, "Man Push Cart," but differs from that film in that no back story is presented to explain why or how these kids would up homeless -- they just are, and they simply deal with the situation as best they can. Like "Man Push Cart," the movie is full of tension and dread, but often defies viewer expectations, which are generally shaped by decades of cliched storytelling. Bahrani's films, however, are anything but cliched -- his cinema verite style creates an earthy, palpable reality, one that draws you in completely and rivets your attention. The dramas he presents are both so humble and so dire that they are utterly compelling, and make this a very fine film.
Great acting from his cast, particularly from Alejandro Polanco, a natural actor with as much charm and inner wit as his character, and Ahmad Razvi, who plays one of the neighboring garage owners. The cast features many actual chop-shop workers, adding an extra layer of reality and authenticity to this remarkable film. Definitely worth checking out! (Joe Sixpack, Slipcue film reviews)
4 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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