Filmmaking at its rawest, Prince of Broadway is as gritty as any independent film you can name. But it is also deceptively engaging, luring you in with heart and humor to a story that’s totally fresh and unexpected. In true independent fashion, Sean Baker directs, shoots, and edits the script he co-wrote with Darren Dean. And he keeps it real every step of the way.
There are many reasons why Prince of Broadway is worth a look. Here are some of mine:
THE SETTING - If you’ve ever walked along Broadway through the West 20s or wandered around Canal Street, you’ll recognize the seemingly innocuous shop where most of the action takes place. Run by Levon (Karren Karagulian), a mild-mannered Armenian who bears a striking resemblance to John Turturro, this shop is sparse, nondescript, and wouldn’t even get a second look from the casual shopper. It doesn’t need to. What the store has going for it is a secret back room. This is where all the real action takes place. Here you can buy the hottest name brands at a fraction of their retail cost. Are they really Gucci, Nike and Louis Vuitton -- or just knockoffs? What do you think?
Driving traffic to the store within a store is Lucky (Prince Adu), a sweet talking street hustler, in the country illegally from Ghana. Lucky cajoles potential buyers to the back room and then wheels and deals the suspect merchandise. Is he any good? The wad of cash he has saved to put towards an education is a pretty good argument for his prowess.
THE PLOT THICKENS - Lucky’s life appears simple. His accommodations are a room with not much more than a mattress on the floor and a bathroom he must share with others. But he is happy. He has a girlfriend he loves (Keyali Mayaga) and is eternally optimistic that he will someday build a better life.
Then one snowy afternoon this all changes. Lucky gets an unexpected visit from his ex-girlfriend Linda (Kat Sanchez). But that’s not her biggest surprise. She’s accompanied by a one-year-old toddler (Aiden Noesi) she claims is Lucky’s son. And Linda wants Lucky to mind the baby “for a few weeks.”
Before he can say “huh,” Lucky has a baby in his arms and Linda is making a quick getaway. Despite his best efforts to rectify the situation, it quickly becomes apparent that -- like it or not -- Lucky’s going to be playing daddy.
FATHERHOOD - The learning curve is steep. Lucky’s idea of a feeding is ordering Chinese takeout. Having a toddler in tow does not mix well with street hustling. Girlfriend Karina is not too thrilled that he has fathered a child and even less so at Lucky’s indications that he wants her to play mother. All along, he continues to question whether the boy is even his. The scenes where Lucky adjusts to his new role are some of the funniest in the movie.
PRINCE ADU - Adu is completely believable as the Manhattan street hustler Lucky. And why not? That’s exactly what he was doing when Baker recruited him. (What did I say about keeping it real?) Adu proves to be adept at anchoring the film. With a winning smile, eyes that seem to glow, and infectious enthusiasm, you just like him. You want to see what is going to happen to Lucky. And he more than holds his own opposite his co-star Aiden Noesi.
AIDEN NOESI - W.C. Fields often warned about the pitfalls of acting with children -- they’ll steal every scene. Aiden Noesi does just this. Whether he’s relentlessly whacking his newfound father in the head or looking forlornly into space after being abandoned in a cafe (he appears to even gets stuck with the check!), it’s hard not to fall under his spell.
KARREN KARAGULIAN (Levon) - His character Levon is another pleasant surprise. Sure, he runs a business that’s not entirely on the up-and-up, but, where you expect Levon to be menacing, he’s surprisingly good-natured. As Karagulian plays him, he comes across as a working class schlub just trying to make a living. You see he truly likes Lucky and is concerned for him. You’d expect him to be enraged at the idea of having a baby muck up his enterprise, but he appears to genuinely enjoy having the little guy around. It is he who insists Lucky do what’s best for the baby.
KAT SANCHEZ - In another touch of realism, the actress who plays Linda is actually Noesi’s mother. Though this is also her first film, she does a great job of relaying the sense of frustration and confinement Linda feels at being a mother at much too young an age.
A WORD OF WARNING - As much as there is to like in Prince of Broadway, it is a very loosely made, freewheeling film. At times you’ll wish that Baker had been a little more disciplined, especially with the story structure. He takes pride in touting that most of the dialogue and action is improvised. Most of the time this works... but not always. Linda’s storyline, in particular, gets lost along the way. We’d like to see a payoff to her actions. Another disappointment is Levon’s subplot. During the course of the film, we learn that he is married to the much younger Nadia (Victoria Tate). Having trouble transitioning from a party-going bride to a stay-at-home wife, Nadia decides to leave Levon. Unable to stop her, he is devastated.
Both these subplots come off as disjointed. Without cohesion, they lack emotional impact. Instead of adding to Prince of Broadway, they tend to distract.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
