This is one I warmed up to. A kitchen sink drama of the first order that I reviewed for DVD Snapshot, this is a refreshing change of pace.
Prince of Broadway
Official Synopsis:
Prince of Broadway is the story
of Lucky (Prince Adu) and Levon (Karren Karagulian), two men whose
lives converge in the underbelly of New York's wholesale fashion
district. Lucky, an illegal immigrant from Ghana, makes ends meet by
soliciting shoppers on the street with knock-off brand merchandise.
Levon, an Armenian-Lebanese immigrant, operates an illegal storefront
with a concealed back room where counterfeit goods are showcased to
interested shoppers. Lucky's world is suddenly turned upside down
when a child is thrust into his life by a woman who insists the
toddler is his son. While Lucky copes with his new domestic dilemma,
Levon struggles to save a marriage that is falling apart. The seedy
side of the wholesale district is revealed through a journey that
continually confronts the interplay between what is fake and what is
real.
Set in the shadow of the Flatiron
building and soaked in the colorful bustle of Broadway, the film is
as much a brutal drama as it is a tender comedy, revealing the lives
of immigrants in America seeking ideals of family and love while
creating their own knock-off of the American Dream.
Our Take:
A low-budget, slice-of-life
relationship drama about two different New York City hustlers and the
families they create, Prince of Broadway practically
feels like a documentary. A collection of belligerent hustlers
muddle through trying to get ahead, all the while arguing. There's
even fighting in traffic. Feeling improvised and free-form, the film
is centered in the claustrophobic back room of Levon's store
and Lucky's dirty rented room. There's an oppressive hopelessness to
the characters' homes and workplaces that, from the very start of
this movie, might make you reconsider watching. It's hard to root for
being “aspirational” here. Even Levon's relatively well-appointed
(but tiny) apartment is depressing. (Perhaps it's because I'm not a
New Yorker. I'm used to space and occasional quiet.)
Prince of Broadway is made in a
Cinema Verite style with a
documentary look and improvisational feel. The actors aren't always
strong, many aren't even trained, but generally convey honesty. With
a slightly improved feel, conversations feel authentic, but none are
ones you'd want to have. The film is very reminiscent of the Paul
Morrissey directed Andy Warhol films Flesh
and Trash, just
without the drag queens.
However, while the film is earnest, it starts out grating and boring
and winds up engaging. This is strong material that is rewarding in
the end, but also feels too much like a day full of bad busy day
spent around unlikeable people.
Special Features:
Prince of Broadway is presented
with 5.1 or 2.0 Dolby Digital English audio and two commentary
tracks, one with the director and the other with the producer and two
of the actors. The trailer and a nearly hour-long behind-the-scenes
and interview featurette “Meet the Hustlers” are included.
Conclusion:
Price of Broadway
means well. An earnest, sometimes humorous, and nearly “mumblecore”
story of a motley crew of New Yorkers, it's grating and “indie.”
It also is surprisingly watchable, but you'll have to decide in the
end if they're capturing the bustling spirit of New York or just
being exhausting.
Overall Picture:
Movie: B-
Extras: C+
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