99 Homes

Directed and edited by Ramin Bahrani and screenplay by Bahrani and Amir Naderi from a story by Bahrani and Bahareh Azimi, 99 Homes is the story of a young man who joins forces with the man who evicted him from his house by evicting other people from their houses so he, his mother, and son a chance to find a home again. The film follows the real-life situations of people losing their homes during periods of recession where a young man succumbs to greed in his desperation to survive. Starring Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, and Laura Dern. 99 Homes is an eerie yet harrowing film from Ramin Bahrani.

The film follows the life of a young man who had just lost another job as he is trying to save his home until he becomes evicted forcing him, his mother, and his son to live at a motel where he would later work with the man who evicted him. It’s a film that explores a man’s desperate need to survive as he is trying to do what is right for his mother and son. Yet, it would cause some moral implications as he would work with this real estate operator who makes a business in evicting people from their homes and then sell it off for more money. The film’s screenplay by Ramin Bahrani and Amir Naderi doesn’t just explore this growing world in which people don’t just lose their homes to the banks due to troubling economic circumstances but also what happens to those homes as a man who would lose his family home would take part in something that is considered greedy and immoral. The character of Dennis Nash (Andrew Garfield) is someone who’s worked in construction and can do repairs as he is struggling to find work while his mother Lynn (Laura Dern) works as a hairdresser as they can barely get by.

The loss of their home is humiliating as Dennis’ son Connor (Noah Lomax) is forced to witness everything as the hotel they temporarily live at is filled with people who had also lost their homes. When Dennis tries to find his tools where he believes had been stolen and confronts the man who he thinks is the thief. He gets the attention of the real estate operator Rick Carter (Michael Shannon) who likes Dennis’ determination as he gets him to do some work where Dennis learns more about what Carter does. Dennis would do the things that Carter does in evicting people and getting people money to sell their homes as he would struggle with what he’s doing. Yet, the money he would make gives him the chance to have his home back as he doesn’t tell his mother nor his son what he really does. The film’s script does have a structure as it play into Dennis’ need to make money as the third act would reveal the implication of his actions but also what gets lost in the things he does.

Bahrani’s direction is definitely mesmerizing for the way he explores this divide in America between social classes where the rich is living without any kind of problems while the poor and middle class struggle to get by as some no longer have homes. While it is set in Orlando, Florida where there are some wide establish shots of the city. It is shot mainly on location in New Orleans to play into the world of suburbia and urban areas where Dennis and his family are forced to live in as well as the houses that Carter is trying to sell as he would later find himself competing with another real estate company during its third act. Much of Bahrani’s direction throughout the film has him emphasizing on more intimate shots with medium shots and close-ups as well as use hand-held cameras to get a sense of realism throughout the film.

Also serving as the film’s editor, Bahrani would play into the drama as he goes for a straightforward approach to the editing as it helps build up the drama and some of the moments of suspense. Even in moments that are simple as it play into why Carter is doing what he does which show some very cynical ideas about the ways of the world and why those who work hard for what they don’t often don’t get what they want. There are some truths to what Carter is saying but what he puts Dennis into showcases that air of immorality and guilt that Dennis would deal with in the third act where he has a dramatic encounter with someone whose house he evicted. Even as it play into events that are quite chilling as well as what some will do to keep their house in every legal way only to be hit with something that is unexpected. Especially as Dennis is forced to see things up close and deal with the consequences of not just his actions but the deal he made to get back his home. Overall, Bahrani creates a riveting yet chilling film about a young man taking a job in helping a man evict people from their homes.

Cinematographer Bobby Bukowski does brilliant work with the film’s rich and colorful cinematography to capture many of the daytime exteriors along with some scenes at night to make it look like a Floridian summer of sorts. Production designer Alex Digerlando, with set decorator Monique Champagne and art director Christina Eunji Kim, does excellent work with the look of Dennis’ family home and the cramped look of the motel room he, his mother, and son are staying in as well as the more spacious and posh home of Carter. Costume designer Meghan Kasperlik does nice work with the clothes as it is mostly casual and ragged with a cleaner and somewhat posh look for Carter and later Dennis.

Sound editor Odin Benitez does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of some of the locations including a party scenes and things heard outside of Dennis’ motel room. The film’s music by Antony Partos and Matteo Zingales is fantastic as it’s mostly an ambient-based score filled with soothing synthesizers and electronic textures while music supervisor Michael Hill provides a soundtrack that is mostly low-key filled with hip-hop, rock, and pop as well as a classical piece from Richard Wagner.

The casting by Douglas Aibel and Tracy Kilpatrick is great as it feature some notable small roles from Nadiyah Skyy as Carter’s mistress, Nicole Barre as Carter’s wife, Javier Molina as a friend of Dennis who helps him uninstall air condition machines and pool pumps, Cynthia Santiago as the wife of a man who is trying to save their home, and Clancy Brown as a rich businessman that Carter is trying to make a deal with. Tim Guinee is terrific as a homeowner in Frank Greene who is trying to save his home every legal way as he knows Dennis because his son meets Connor early in the film as he is also caught stealing water and electricity from a home owned by Carter. Noah Lomax is fantastic as Dennis’ son Connor as a young kid dealing with the new situation he’s in as he’s hoping to go back home while being unaware of what his father is really doing.

Laura Dern is excellent as Dennis’ mother Lynn as a hairdresser who is kept in the dark about what her son is doing as she is aware of the reality of what is happening but has a harder time learning the truth about what Dennis is doing. Andrew Garfield is amazing as Dennis Nash as an unemployed single father who is trying to make money and do anything to get his house back only to put himself into a world of greed and guilt as Garfield displays that anguish and determination of a man trying to survive. Finally, there’s Michal Shannon in a brilliant performance as Rick Carter as a real estate operator that is quite shady but also determined to make money and bring Dennis into the fold as there’s a sense of charm in Shannon’s performance but also a role that is quite cunning that doesn’t make him into someone that is totally evil.

99 Homes is a phenomenal film from Ramin Bahrani that features incredible performances from Michael Shannon, Andrew Garfield, and Laura Dern. Along with its rapturous script, realistic locations, and a themes of greed, loss, and survival, it’s a film that definitely has a lot to say while showing a dark reality of America as its people lose their homes all because of a missed payment with no chance of getting it back. In the end, 99 Homes is a sensational film from Ramin Bahrani.

Ramin Bahrani Films: Man Push Cart - Chop Shop - Goodbye Solo - Plastic Bag - At Any Price - (Fahrenheit 451 (2018 film)) - The Auteurs #55: Ramin Bahrani

© thevoid99 2017

The Auteurs #55: Ramin Bahrani

Among one of the new crop of filmmakers to emerge in the 2000s, Ramin Bahrani is among a group of new filmmakers who doesn’t just explore the struggles that people go through everyday but also for the fact that he showcases a sense of realism that isn’t seen often in American cinema. While he is from an Iranian background, the man exemplifies not just immigrants and those who aren’t part of American society but also working-class Americans struggling to adapt to the new world. With five feature films under his belt, Bahrani becomes an unlikely voice not just for Americans but also display films that audiences around the world can relate to.

Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on March 20, 1975, Ramin Bahrani was the son of Iranian parents who had immigrated to the country in the 1970s. Like many Iranians who had come to America looking for a better life, they would contend with prejudice as it would intensify during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Bahrani would also see the struggle of not just the way immigrants struggle to adapt to a new world but also in surviving as it wasn’t just his parents where he saw that struggle but also in other immigrants living in the South. In his discovery of cinema, Bahrani would be intrigued by not just the post-war neo-realist films of Italy but also the films of Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami. Bahrani would attend Columbia University in New York City in the early and mid-1990s where he would learn about film and eventually receive his BA there. From the late 1990s and early 2000s, Bahrani would create short films to hone his craft.

Man Push Cart

Inspired by his surroundings around New York City as well as Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus, Bahrani decides to make a film about the immigrant experience as it would revolve around a Pakistani musician who drags his food kiosk all over New York City. The idea itself has an air of realism as it was the kind of film that Hollywood wouldn’t tell as Bahrani chose to produce, write, edit, and direct the film as he would get independent funding for the film. Since he would shoot the film on location in the city with the aid of cinematographer Michael Simmonds who would find ways to shoot the film with hidden cameras to create something as if it was a fly-on-the-wall point of view. With Simmonds and others to be part of a small crew, Bahrani would get Ahmad Razvi in the lead role of Ahmad as this once-popular musician in his native Pakistan who is in America struggling to make ends meet and pay child support as his son is living with the family of his late wife.

The cast would also include Leticia Dolera and Charles Daniel Sandoval in key roles that Ahmad would encounter. The script would play a lot into Ahmad’s attempt to survive and find hope despite working on a kiosk where he would be given false promises by a Pakistani yuppie and memories about his late wife and the life he once had. Bahrani also asks big question about Ahmad’s life as he struggles to make money where he also sells bootleg DVDs on the side. Especially as its third act would have Ahmad take a journey of his own where it plays into the elements of neorealist aesthetics of post-war Italian cinema. Yet, Bahrani would add something that also play into the experience of the immigrant living in America as it shows that not all of them play by the rules such as the yuppie character that Ahmad meets who is really Americanized for all of the wrong reasons. It says a lot into not just Ahmad’s own alienation but also for the fact that he couldn’t rely on fellow countrymen in a world that is very harsh.

The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September of 2005 as it drew rave reviews as it would later receive the FIPRESCI prize later that year at the London Film Festival. Following its U.S. film festival premiere in January of 2006 at the Sundance Film Festival, the film would finally be given a limited theatrical release in the fall of 2006 where it was championed by the famed film critic Roger Ebert. Ebert’s praise would help give the film more attention as did Bahrani himself who would receive lots of acclaim for his work.

Chop Shop

The critical success of his debut film gave Bahrani the attention of studios and producers who wanted to work with him as he would receive funding and support from various independent film producers for his next project. With the aid of co-writer and friend Bahareh Azimi, the film would once again be set in New York City but in the area of Queens as it relates to a young boy working at a local chop shop in the hopes of doing something good for himself and his older sister. Re-teaming with Michael Simmonds to shoot the film, Bahrani receives the service of production designer Richard A. Wright who was known for his work with David Gordon Green. For the casting, Bahrani would once again go for lesser-known/unknown actors or non-actors for the role in the same tradition of one of his influences in Robert Bresson.

Shooting on location in Queens, Bresson wouldn’t just cover the world of chop shops but also a boy’s desire to create a future for himself despite the fact that he is forced to forgo his childhood to survive. It begins with a simple dream where Bahrani would cast Alejandro Polancano in the lead role of Ale despite his lack of experience. The lack of experience would help add to the realism of the performance where Bahrani would also bring in Ahmad Razvi to play a small role who would be crucial for not just Ale’s development but also to come face to face with the real world at hand. A reality for a 12-year old boy trying to live in Queens, where everyone who doesn’t fit into a certain demographic that is defined as American, is something that he would have to live with. Especially in the decisions that his sister would make that just add to a growing wound he would endure.

The film would make its premiere in late May of 2007 at the Cannes Film Festival in France playing at the Director’s Fortnight section to great acclaim as it’s festival run in Toronto in the fall of 2007 and another major festival showing at the Berlin Film Festival in early 2008 added to the film’s growing critical reputation. The film would receive a limited theatrical release in late February of 2008 where it receive great reviews including another rave from Roger Ebert who would later include the film in a top ten list of the best films of the 2000s. A year later, the film would be nominated for 3 Independent Spirit Awards where Bahrani won the Someone to Watch prize.

Goodbye Solo

Having already accumulated two back-to-back critical successes and praise in the film festival circuit, Bahrani decides to return home to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for his next feature film that wouldn’t just cover similar themes from his previous films but also play into aspects of mysticism. The film would revolve around a Senegalese cab driver who is asked by an old man to take him to the mysterious Blowing Rock peak in the mountain in North Carolina where he plans to kill himself on a specific day. Along the way, the two become friends where they learn about each other despite the old man’s reluctance. Collaborating with Chop Shop co-write Bahareh Azimi for the script, the film would be a study of not just the idea of optimism and cynicism but also the ideas of the real world where this Senegalese man tries to do his best in his desire to become a flight attendant so he can provide for his family.

Once again teaming with cinematographer Michael Simmonds for the project and going for that approach in casting unknowns and non-actors that would include Soulemayne Sy Savane in the lead role of Solo. Bahrani would take a major risk in getting famed character actor Red West for the role of the old man William. Inspired by the films of Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, Bahrani wanted to go for something that is loose in terms of the narrative while the filmmaking would be less restrained for more controlled shots as opposed to some of the handheld work of his previous films. Another aspect that was becoming common with his film was not going for any film score to be added in the post-production by just capturing whatever is played where Bahrani wanted to capture much of the realism in Winston-Salem. Especially as it’s a city that is this mixture of people ranging from Africans, African-Americans, Arabs, Anglo-Americans, Hispanic, and all sorts of people in a city that is a cross between the modern world and old America.

The film made its premiere on September 2008 at the Venice Film Festival as it won the FRIPRESCI prize by critics as it would become a festival hit in the following weeks as it was a hit at the Toronto Film Festival during the same month. The film would later receive a limited theatrical release in the March of 2009 in the U.S. as it drew raves from many critics including Roger Ebert and A.O. Scott of the New York Times. While the film did modestly well in its limited, art-house release in the U.S., it did bring a lot of attention to Bahrani as one of the best kept secrets in American independent cinema.

Plastic Bag

Having attained a wave of critical support as well as a small following among audiences in the world of art-house films and independent cinema. Bahrani was approached by Independent Television Service to create a short film as Bahrani wrote the short with Jenni Jenkins as it would revolve around the travels of a plastic bag. Featuring the same team who worked on his last film, Bahrani would also receive the services of the legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog who would voice the titular character. With his team of collaborators, Bahrani went for something that is very simple but also take a look into the myth that is the Pacific Trash Vortex where some of the plastic bags go to.

The film would make its premiere at the 2009 Venice Film Festival in September of that year where it would also play at other film festivals around the same time such as Telluride and Toronto. After its festival run that features a screening at the 2010 South by Southwest film festival, Bahrani briefly put the film for download on his website free of charge so that audiences can get a glimpse of it.

At Any Price

Having already attained a wealth of major critical support and a devoted cult following for his work, Bahrani knew it was time to make some changes as he wanted to maintain his sense of independence but also try to appeal to a wider audience. In meeting the renowned producer Christine Vachon, Bahrani would get the chance to make his most ambitious film to date as it revolved around a father and son at odds with each other over the former’s ambition in expanding his family’s farming empire in the age of modern agriculture. Writing the project with Hallie Elizabeth Newton, the film wouldn’t just be about the fallacy of ambition but also how pride can nearly blind people.

Having worked with mostly non-professional actors in the past, Bahrani was given the chance to work with some of Hollywood’s big names such as Dennis Quaid as the family patriarch Henry Whipple, Zac Efron as Henry’s son Dean, Kim Dickens as Henry’s wife Irene, then-newcomer Maika Monroe as Dean’s girlfriend Cadence, and Heather Graham as Henry’s mistress Meredith. With Red West also playing a small role as Henry’s father, the film would feature several of Bahrani’s collaborators while he also gained the services of renowned editor Affonso Gonclaves to edit the film. Shot on location in Dekalb, Illinois as Iowa, Bahrani doesn’t just want to explore the world of modern farming but also in the ugly aspects of farmers having to compete with one another and keep up with the world of modernism.

With expectation high, the film made its premiere on August 30, 2012 at the Venice Film Festival where it got a good reception as it would receive screenings weeks later in film festivals in Telluride and Toronto. The film would be given a limited theatrical release by Sony Picture Classics in April 2013 where the film received mixed reviews from critics. Despite another rave from Roger Ebert as well as some for its exploration on the world of modern farming, many critics didn’t enjoy some of the dramatic aspects of the film as it related to the father-son relationship. While it only made less than half-a-million in the box office against the millions of dollars it cost to make. The film did prove that Bahrani still provided a voice as it relates to the trials and tribulations that Americans face no matter who they are.

99 Homes

Bahrani’s most recent feature film isn’t just another exploration of the realities of American life but also what some will do to survive. Starring Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, and Laura Dern, the film revolves around a young man who has been evicted from his home where he makes a shady deal to keep his home by working with the man who evicted him and evict others from their homes. The film would be another ambitious feature of sorts where Bahrani made the film on a $8 million budget yet would be well-received following its premiere at the 2014 Venice Film Festival in late August and a limited release in October of 2015 where the film drew rave reviews.

Having already made five films and with the support of critics and audiences wanting films that says a lot about America that Hollywood doesn’t want to cover. Ramin Bahrani has a unique place in the world of American cinema as a man who tells stories not just about Americans but those trying to capture some aspect of the myth that is the American Dream. Whether or not that myth exists, Bahrani is a filmmaker that is willing to ask if it does exist as his films do display some kind of hope no matter how bleak his films can be.

© thevoid99 2016

Goodbye Solo

Directed and edited by Ramin Bahrani and written by Bahrani and Bahareh Azimi, Goodbye Solo is the story of a Senegalese cab driver working in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he befriends a depressed old man. The film is an exploration of friendship and alienation in a world that is increasingly demanding and modern where two men go into a personal journey. Starring Souleymane Sy Savane, Diana Franco Galindo, and Red West. Goodbye Solo is a mesmerizing and heartfelt film from Ramin Bahrani.

A Senegalese cab driver is asked by an old man to drive him to Blowing Rock, North Carolina on a specific day as it’s the day the man has chose to die. The cab driver is confused by this demand but is willing to do it as he eventually befriends this depressed old man who seems to have been lost in the world. It’s a film that explores an unlikely friendship between this immigrant who is trying to make a better life for himself but also try to get to know this old man. The film’s screenplay by Ramin Bahrani and Bahareh Azimi is quite minimalist as it immediately begins with this cab driver in Solo (Soulemayne Sy Savane) who reluctantly takes money from this old man named William (Red West) as Solo knows he needs the money but is confused by William’s request.

The film takes place in the span of two weeks in Winston-Salem as it explores Solo trying to see if William would change his mind by introducing to his family. Even to the point where William would be happy but it wouldn’t last as there isn’t much for William to offer to the world which has passed him by. For Solo, he’s working to become a flight attendant as William would help him study for the test and pass as it’s Solo trying to prove that he can do more than just be a cab driver for his wife. Another source of optimism that would be helpful for both Solo and William is the former’s stepdaughter Alex (Diana Franco Galindo) whom the latter would also befriend despite his reluctance to open up.

Bahrani’s direction is definitely ravishing for not just the minimalist approach to the story but also setting it almost entirely in Winston-Salem as it is a character into the film. It’s a city that is this melting pot of not just immigrants whether they’re from Africa or Latin America but also a land that is also filled with people who are born in the South. Much of the compositions for the city are shot with a sense of intimacy and realistic approach with very little wide shots in favor of medium shots as it relates to the characters in the film. Bahrani’s usage of close-ups and medium shots for much of the scenes set in the cabs as well as scenes to show the lives of Solo and William play into that sense of intimacy. Also serving as editor, Bahrani’s approach is very straightforward where it’s more about capturing what is going on and just let the camera play things out on a take instead of cutting from one perspective and to another.

Bahrani’s compositions would instead have his actors be framed where one would be in the foreground and the other in the background to get a sense of how Solo is trying to connect with William or William trying to distance himself from Solo. It adds to the realities of their situations where Solo would face his own reality in the third act as he also a child coming into the world and the possibility that he might not succeed in becoming a flight attendant. The realities would lead to this climax at Blowing Rock which is this mystical gorge where the wind blow below from the forest against this gorge. If one was to drop something into the gorge, the wind would fly it up in the air as it becomes the centerpiece of the film where Solo would see something that couldn’t be explained as it also provides an ambiguity into his own experience. Overall, Bahrani creates a riveting and evocative film about two different men befriending each other for a personal journey.

Cinematographer Michael Simmonds does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography as it has this very natural feel to the way many of the daytime interior/exteriors are presented including the scenes at Blowing Rock while using some lights for the film‘s interiors at night. Production designer Chad Keith and art director Adam Willis do nice work with the some of the minimal set pieces from the home that Solo lives in as well as the motel that William would stay in. Sound designer Abigail Savage does superb work with the sound as it play into the natural aspects of some of the film‘s locations including how music is heard on a radio or something as well as the naturalistic world of Blowing Rock. The film’s music by M. Lo. is wonderful as it is very low-key with its mixture of folk and ambient as it only plays in the final credits while music supervisor Joe Rudge create a soundtrack that is essentially music that is being played on a radio or from afar as it is a mixture of hip-hop, reggae, world music, rock, and country.

The film’s amazing cast include some notable small roles from Carmen Leyva as Solo’s wife Quiera, Mamadou Lam as a fellow cab driver, and. Lane “Roc” Williams as a passenger friend of Solo. Diana Franco Galindo is fantastic as Solo’s stepdaughter Alex who is full of life and energy as she manages to win over William while being someone who can get Solo to do things. Red West is great as William as this old man that is coping with a lot as he wants to end his life where he reluctantly befriends Solo as he still ponders about whether to end his life and see if he still has something to offer. Finally, there’s Soulemayne Sy Savane in an incredible performance as Solo as this hopeful and upbeat cab driver that is determined to make a better life for himself as he also befriends this old man where he tries to cheer him up and see that there are reasons to live no matter how hard life can be.

Goodbye Solo is a spectacular film from Ramin Bahrani. Featuring a great cast, a simple yet compelling premise, gorgeous visuals, and themes of loneliness and struggle. It’s a film that manages to be so much more in its simple premise while displaying something is very American in its realistic yet evocative setting. In the end, Goodbye Solo is a tremendous film from Ramin Bahrani.

Ramin Bahrani Films: Man Push Cart - Chop Shop - Plastic Bag - At Any Price - 99 Homes (Fahrenheit 451 (2018 film)) - The Auteurs #55: Ramin Bahrani

© thevoid99 2016

Plastic Bag

Directed and edited by Ramin Bahrani and written by Bahrani and Jenni Jenkins, Plastic Bag is an 18-minute short film that revolves around the journey of a plastic bag. The film is an experimental short of sorts that play into the world seen from the view of a plastic bag who is voiced by renowned filmmaker Werner Herzog. The result is a fascinating and enchanting short from Ramin Bahrani.

The film is a simple story about the life of a plastic bag who is bought and then used until is thrown into the trash where it goes into a journey into the unknown. It’s a film with a very simple story where a plastic bag under the voice of Werner Herzog endures its plight and situations as if it has feelings. Even as it has this bag go into a journey where it encounters many things and different environments. The film’s direction by Ramin Bahrani is quite simple as it is largely shot from the perspective of this plastic bag in its close-ups and medium shots where a lot of it is shot on digital cameras.

With wide shots to capture the many different locations and Bahrani doing a lot of his own editing in creating unique jump-cuts and cut-to-black for moments that play into the bag’s view of the world. It adds to a world that is very unique that includes a major reference to the Pacific Trash Vortex where flown garbage would often be seen at. Overall, Bahrani creates an exhilarating and evocative film about the view of a plastic bag with the voice of Werner Herzog.

Cinematographer Michael Simmonds does brilliant work with the film‘s digital photography that captures a realist yet gritty approach to some of the close-ups of the bag as well as the beauty in some of the different locations in the film. Production designer Chad Keith and art director Adam Willis do excellent work with the look of the house that the bag lived early in the film as well as the disparate states it took in its journey. Sound designer Abigail Savage and sound supervisor Tom Efinger do amazing work with the sound to play into the different locations and atmosphere that adds to the bag‘s journey. The film’s music by Kjartan Sveinsson is fantastic for its mixture of ambient-based music and art-rock textures that play into the many moods that the bad would endure.

Plastic Bag is a phenomenal short film from Ramin Bahrani. It’s a short that manages to do so much with very little as it explores elements of environmentalism without the need to be heavy-handed in its message by just being simple and having intrigue in its story. In the end, Plastic Bag is a sensational film from Ramin Bahrani.

Ramin Bahrani Films: Man Push Cart - Chop Shop - Goodbye Solo - At Any Price - 99 Homes - (Fahrenheit 451 (2018 film)) - The Auteurs #55: Ramin Bahrani

© thevoid99 2016

Life Itself

Based on the memoir Life Itself: A Memoir, Life Itself is a documentary about the life and works one of the most revered film critics of the 20th Century in Roger Ebert. Directed by Steve James, the film looks into Ebert’s career as a film critic that included his notable partnership with fellow critic Gene Siskel. The film also looks into the final months of Ebert’s life as he succumbed to the effects of thyroid cancer that eventually claimed him on April 4, 2013. Featuring appearances from filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, Ramin Bahrani, and many others including Ebert’s widow Chaz. The result is one of the most moving and exhilarating portraits of one of cinema’s great voices.

There is probably no film critic, aside from Pauline Kael and Andrew Sarris, who made a major impact for film criticism and film writing better than Roger Ebert in the second half of the 20th Century and in the early stages of the 21st Century. Yet, this film is about Ebert’s life not just a critic who championed films and filmmakers that a wide audience might’ve not known or heard of. It’s a film about the man himself who struggled with alcoholism until embracing sobriety in 1979 and the loving husband to his soul mate Chaz who would be there for him until the day he died. The film would move back and forth into Ebert’s life as a man and as a film critic but also in the final five months of his life as he was trying to recover from cancer that he had been battling for years as it would rob him of his voice and lower jaw.

Steve James’ direction is quite simple as he captures the final months of Ebert’s life as he spends that time in a hospital and rehab center while using his computer to talk and such. Chaz is a prominent figure in the film as she would comment everything as well as glimpse of Ebert’s step-children and grandchildren who were a major part of his life. Along with appearances from filmmakers like Werner Herzog, Martin Scorsese, Gregory Nava, Ramin Bahrani (who would visit Ebert at the hospital), and Errol Morris who talked about Ebert’s importance in their work. There’s also interviews with friends and colleagues like film critics A.O. Scott and Richard Corliss as well as Gene Siskel’s widow Marlene.

Ebert’s relationship with Gene Siskel was a unique one where the two had very different personalities yet loved films as it was one of the reasons why their show At the Movies became so important to film criticism. Even as it helped expose smaller films while bring a different appeal that allowed a wide audience to see what they had to say. Martin Scorsese talks about their infamous review of The Color of Money which still hurts him to this day. There’s also the story about Richard Corliss taking criticism over Siskel and Ebert’s show as Corliss talks about that little feud. With David E. Simpson aiding James in the editing, the film showcases a lot of footage of the show including outtakes where Siskel and Ebert take jabs at each other but do it with a lot of love.

With help from cinematographer Dana Krupper, the film has a very simple yet vibrant look into the way James captures Ebert’s final months as he struggles with his rehab and regaining the ability to walk. James knows how not to infuse a lot of sentimentality to the film as there’s this mixture of humor and drama as well as the moment when Ebert dies. The film’s music by Joshua Abrams doesn’t drown things out as it is mostly low-key in its jazz music setting while the soundtrack also features some jazz music from the artists that Ebert loves as well as a poignant Leonard Cohen song that really says a lot about Ebert’s relationship with Chaz. Overall, James crafts a very delightful yet heartfelt film about a guy who loved a woman named Chaz, a guy named Gene, and cinema.

Life Itself is a magnificent film from Steve James about the life and work of Roger Ebert. The film isn’t just a very touching and engaging documentary about an influential film critic but a man who loved life no matter how hard it was in the final years of his life. Even as he gets testimonials from those he championed as well as colleagues who think of him as a brother. In the end, Life Itself is an incredibly moving and wondrous film from Steve James.

© thevoid99 2014

At Any Price

Directed by Ramin Bahrani and written by Bahrani and Hallie Elizabeth Newton, At Any Price is the story of a father and son at odds when the latter wants to pursue a career as a race car driver while the former deals with an investigation over his farming business as it goes into chaos. The film is an exploration into the world of father and son and the sacrifices they make. Starring Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Heather Graham, Kim Dickens, Clancy Brown, Chelcie Ross, Ben Marten, Red West, and Maika Monroe. At Any Price is an engrossing drama from Ramin Bahrani.

The life of a farmer often endures changing times in order through modern life as the film is about a farmer hoping to keep up with the times and ensure that it will be in the right hands once its inherited to his two sons. Unfortunately, his eldest son hasn’t returned from a personal journey to Argentina while the youngest wants to become a race car driver. The tension between Henry (Dennis Quaid) and Dean Whipple (Zac Efron) is at the heart of the film as Henry tries to be in Dean’s life but Dean wants to be on his own. It’s a film that is an exploration into pride as Henry does things to keep up with the times and ensure the future of his farming business. Yet, his activities would get him in trouble forcing Dean to step in and find out who had been going after his family where both father and son would pay big prices for their sins.

The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore this growing schism between Henry and Dean but also Henry’s own foolish ambitions as he is convinced by the people he’s working with to expand or die. The film’s opening scene after a montage of home video footage of the Whipple family has Henry talking to Dean about closing a deal as they’re attending a funeral where Henry is hoping to buy some acres of land from that family. It’s that scene where it showcases what kind of man that Henry is but also set the seeds for all of the trouble that he would create for himself and his family. While Henry sells himself as a farmer who likes to charm people and make sure he can help them. He’s a man that cheats on his wife Irene (Kim Dickens) with a mistress named Meredith (Heather Graham) who would also have a tryst with Dean as well as someone who will also cheat his way to get what he wants.

Dean in some respects is like his father as he also has ambitions but in the world of racing as he wants to make it as a race car driver but he is also a troublemaker as he drinks and steals while likes to have his girlfriend Cadence (Maika Monroe) around. Though Dean does help out in the farm and knows how to do things that makes him the more likely candidate to take over the family business that’s been passed from generation to generation. He’s not interested in taking over as he despises his dad for being very pushy as he believes that’s why his older brother Grant (Patrick W. Stevens) has left home. It’s one of the aspects that adds to the drama that makes it very engaging though things do get a bit messy in the third act when both Henry and Dean try to figure out who had put them through this mess where it would add not just trouble but also guilt in both of their parts.

Ramin Bahrani’s direction is very simple in the way he approaches the film though it is different than his previous films which were more about outsiders on the fringes of American society. Still, he manages to convey some idea of realism into his story as it does explore the world of the American farmer who are also outsiders in some respects as they don’t live in big cities. Especially as they’re dealing with a world that is changing as Henry has to keep up with the times as the order is to expand or die. Henry takes up the former in order to compete with other farmers such as Jim Johnson (Clancy Brown) but at the expense of threatening his own family business as his father Cliff (Red West) is aware of the problems his son has caused.

Bahrani’s direction is always gazing into the world of the landscape as much of it is shot on location in Dekalb, Illinois in the U.S. as Iowa as it’s a land that is very rich with its corn and wheat fields. Even in the scenes set in the race tracks showcase a sense of vibrancy and intimacy in Bahrani’s direction though things aren’t well handled in the film’s third act where it does get a bit heavy. Largely as the film leans towards something that doesn’t fit in with the drama but Bahrani does still keep the film focused on the story of father and son as well as the sins they have to deal with. Despite the flaws in its third act, Bahrani manages to create a compelling film about the world of farming and the relationship between father and son.

Cinematographer Michael Simmonds does fantastic work with the film‘s gorgeous photography with the look of the landscape in the film as well as the use of lights for much of the film‘s interior and exterior scenes at night. Editor Affonso Goncalves does excellent work with the film‘s editing by using some rhythmic jump-cuts for some of the racing scenes along with a montage in the film‘s opening credits and some straightforward cuts for the rest of the film. Production designer Chad Keith, with set decorator Adam Willis and art director Jonathan Guggenheim, does brilliant work with the set pieces from the farms that Henry operates to some of the places he and his family go to.

Costume designers Tere Duncan and Sandy Lazar do terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual and ragged to play into that look of small-town folk. Visual effects supervisor Andre Basso does nice work with some of the film‘s minimal effects which involves some of the racing scenes. Sound editor Abigail Savage does wonderful work with the film‘s sound to play into some of the natural sounds of the locations along with the layers of sounds in the racing scenes. The film’s music by Dickon Hinchcliffe is superb for its mixture of ambient and post-rock music that is the basis for the film score as the film’s music soundtrack from music supervisor Michael Hill largely consists of country and metal tracks where the latter plays into Dean’s world.

The casting by Douglas Aibel is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable performances from Chelcie Ross as a seed farmer who needed Henry’s help only to tell Henry the severity of his troubles, Dan Waller as a young farmer Dean and Henry meets at the funeral in the opening moments of the film, Ben Marten as Jim Johnson’s son Brad who despises Dean, Stephen Louis Grush as Dean’s friend Torgeson, Patrick W. Stevens as Henry’s eldest son Grant who only appears briefly in the film’s opening montage credits, and Red West as Henry’s father Cliff who is unsure about his son’s plans as he realizes the trouble that Henry is causing. Clancy Brown is terrific as Henry’s rival Jim Johnson as a farmer who has taken one of Henry’s territories causing Henry to fire back.

Heather Graham is pretty good in an underwritten role as Henry’s mistress Meredith who helps Henry out with his moves while also having a tryst with Dean. Maika Monroe is amazing as Dean’s girlfriend Cadence who helps Henry out with regaining a territory of his while dealing with some of the issues that are causing trouble for both Dean and Henry. Kim Dickens is fantastic as Henry’s wife Irene as she is the bookkeeper of Henry’s work while being the most grounded person in her family as she also knows about Henry’s affairs. Zac Efron is superb as Dean Whipple as a young man eager to make it as a race car driver while having a hard time dealing with his father’s presence as well as the pressure of taking over the family business. Dennis Quaid is incredible as Henry Whipple as a man of great ambition who tries to keep up with the times only for his selfishness and greed would get him in trouble as he faces the sins that he’s created for himself and his son.

At Any Price is an excellent film from Ramin Bahrani that is highlighted by the performances of Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, and Kim Dickens. While it is a more polished and accessible film in comparison to Bahrani’s previous works. It is still a captivating piece that explores the world of farming and its clash with modernism as well as an intriguing tale about fathers and sons. In the end, At Any Price is a fantastic film from Ramin Bahrani.

Ramin Bahrani Films: Man Push Cart - Chop Shop - Goodbye Solo - Plastic Bag - 99 Homes - (Fahrenheit 451 (2018 film)) - The Auteurs #55: Ramin Bahrani

© thevoid99 2014

Chop Shop

Directed and edited by Ramin Bahrani with a script co-written with Bahareh Azimi, Chop Shop tells the story of a twelve-year old boy who lives in an area of Queens, New York City working at an auto shop. With his 16-year old sister, they hope to have a better life and reach the dream of owning and running a food van business. Starring Alejandro Polanco, Ismar Gonzales, Rob Sowulski, Carlos Zapata, and Ahmad Ravzi. Chop Shop is a mesmerizing yet captivating drama from Ramin Bahrani.

Ale (Alejandro Polanco) is a 12-year old orphan looking for work around Queens so he can raise money to buy a food van. With his friend Carlos (Carlos Zapata) helping out by selling candies at subway trains, Ale spends a lot of time working and living in an auto repair shop run by a guy named Rob (Rob Sowulski). When his 16-year old sister Izzy (Ismar Gonzales) arrives, Ale gets her a job working at a food van that she reluctantly takes. When Carlos reveals that his uncle has a food van that is for sale at $4500, Ale continues to work to raise money to buy the van.

After going to see a Mets game nearby at Shea Stadium, Ale makes a discovery that haunts him. Continuing to work and focusing on making money, Ale decides to steal hubcaps and sell pirated DVDs. Even as he meets Ahmad (Ahmad Ravzi) who helps him make extra money by stripping up cars at night. When he finally reaches his goal to purchase the van, Ahmad reveals something that changes his outlook on life.

The story of a boy trying to tough it out in Queens while making a better life for himself and his older sister could’ve been told in a very sentimental yet sweeping fashion that is typical of Hollywood films. Since this is not a Hollywood movie, the neo-realist tone of the film makes it much more compelling for the fact that it doesn’t play by any rules. Ramin Bahrani and co-writer Bahareh Azimi create a script that is very loose by not creating a lot of scenes that’s driven by dialogue but rather by actions. A lot of it is focused on Ale whose development as a boy who has given up his childhood in order to survive by focusing on a dream. During this journey, he comes across things that people had to do along with harsh revelations about the amount of work is put into this dream.

Bahrani’s direction is truly hypnotic as he goes for a cinema verite style in tone while maintaining a look that is very vibrant. With the use of hand-held cameras to a few steadicam shots and shooting it entirely on location. Bahrani aims for that realistic approach in choosing non-actors which is part of his style that he does in his work. Since the direction is very loose and not very stagy, the realness that it provides feels natural as if the audience in this area and part of it. With Bahrani doing the editing, the film has a loose rhythm while doesn’t go for any kind of style in the cutting by playing it straight. Overall, it’s a marvelous film from Ramin Bahrani.

Cinematographer Michael Simmonds does a wonderful job with the photography by creating a gorgeous look to Queens in its very multi-ethnic world along with a shot of Shea Stadium in the background. For its daytime look, Simmonds goes for a natural look while the nighttime scenes have a lush yet gritty quality for its look. Production designer Richard A. Wright and art director Elliot Glick do an excellent job with the look of the place that Ale and Izzy live in along with the scrap yards they encounter. Costume designer Daphne Javitch does a good job with the costumes by maintaining the realism for the film in its look.

The sound work by Tom Efinger is superb for the way it captures the world of Queens in its vast world as it includes sounds of crowds roaring in Shea Stadium which is a real highlight of the sound work. The film’s soundtrack features a lot of Latin-based music including Reggaeton for its more vibrant moments while M. Lo’s ambient-like score is used sparsely as it’s played mostly in the final credits.

The cast is phenomenal for its use of non-actors as it features appearances from Evelisse “Lilah” Ortiz as a friend of Izzy and Anthony Felton as Carlos’ uncle. Other notable small performances include Rob Sowulski as Ale’s car shop boss and Carlos Zapata as Ale’s best friend Carlos. Bahrani regular Ahmad Razvi is excellent as Ahmad, a guy who owns a car shop who helps Ale out with some work. Ismar Gonzales is really good as Ale’s older but often irresponsible sister Izzy who seems more intent in having fun instead of going to work. Finally, there’s Alejandro Polcano in a spectacular performance as Ale. Polcano brings an energy and maturity to a character that could’ve been annoying but Polcano just plays it natural as a kid that wants to do what’s right even though he does things that aren’t very good as it is an amazing performance.

Chop Shop is an exhilarating film from Ramin Bahrani that features a magnificent performance from Alejandro Polcano. Among the films of late 2000s American neorealist films, this is one of the quintessential along with the films of Kelly Reichardt. Even as it surpasses the more stylized approach of Bahrani’s previous film Man Push Cart by employing a looser style of storytelling. In the end, Chop Shop is a rich yet poignant film from Ramin Bahrani.

Ramin Bahrani Films: Man Push Cart - Goodbye Solo - Plastic Bag - At Any Price - 99 Homes - (Fahrenheit 451 (2018 film)) - The Auteurs #55: Ramin Bahrani

© thevoid99 2011

Man Push Cart

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/17/08

Written and directed by Ramin Bahrani, Man Push Cart tells the story of a Pakistani immigrant who spends his life in New York City dragging a heavy food cart in the city's streets selling food and such. During this moment of struggle, the man ponders his existence and wonders if he'll ever escape his own fate. Shot on location in New York City, the film is an eerie tale of struggle and alienation while the story is also based on The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus. Starring Ahmad Razvi, Leticia Dolera, and Charles Daniel Sandoval. Man Push Cart is a wonderful little film from Ramin Bahrani about a man trying to find his footing in a huge city.

A man named Ahmad (Ahmad Razvi) throughout the part of his life, works and drags a huge cart in the middle of New York City every late at night only to work in the morning in a corner in midtown NYC. Often going through the same customers everyday, Ahmad would finish his shift in the afternoon while dragging his cart back to the same place he picks it up. On the side, he sells bootleg porn films to fellow Pakistani workers either working in newsstands or taxi cabs. He takes a train home to Brooklyn at night to go to sleep in the few hours he have. What is more surprising is that years ago, he was a rock star in his native Pakistan. That is something that a fellow Pakistani businessman named Mohammed (Charles Daniel Sandoval) seems to be baffled by when he recognized him and gave him a job painting his apartment.

One of the main reasons Ahmad works in a cart selling bagels, coffee, juice, and tea for a living is to help give child support to his son who is living with his in-laws. Yet, his mother-in-law refuses to see him or give support to a child. One day when Ahmad stops at a usual newsstand to get a packet of cigarettes, a woman named Noemi (Leticia Dolera) works there replacing a guy he knew. They befriend each other as Ahmad is suddenly invited to gatherings by Mohammed where he takes Noemi along. Mohammed has plans to revive Ahmad's music career but the former rock singer is unsure as he is more consumed by the work he has to do. Even as he hopes to own the cart he has which is more than just a heavy cart he drags around.

After finding a little kitten in the street on his way home, the little kitten becomes a friend that he takes care of while often hanging out with Noemi as they talk about a few things including her life back in Barcelona, Spain. Yet, when Mohammed decides to get Ahmad back in the life of riches and stuff, Ahmad becomes reluctant as he all he has to work for is work pushing a cart and stuff. Yet, a night working with Mohammed proves to be non-fulfilling as he gives up the job and prefers to work at his cart. Then when a simple moment of getting something for his son, the one thing that Ahmad works for is suddenly taken away as he wonders what does he have to do.

In this simple little film by Ramin Bahrani, one can compare to Ahmad's misfortunes to the classic Vittorio de Sica neo-realist film The Bicycle Thief. While the story and plot is simple, the film is really a study of this man who had it all as a rock star in his native Pakistan. Yet, the big questions are how far did he have to fall down by dragging a cart in the middle of New York City? Why couldn't he revive his music career in NYC? Why is he being blamed for the tragic death of his wife? Why does this cart mean so much to him? Why is he reluctant to catch a break that would help financially and more? That is something the audience, the film's writer/director, and maybe the character of Ahmad is trying to figure out. Some of these questions do kind of get answered but there's also questions that remain unanswered.

Ahmad is a character who is trying to do the best he can as an immigrant while getting little time to chat with fellow friends and immigrants going through the same struggles in New York City. Sure, it will take him years to probably own the cart and maybe pay for its insurance. Still, what is strange about his situation is that he seems somewhat content working in a cart, going by doing that job while selling bootleg DVDs on the side. While a character like Noemi might seem to understand and sympathize with his struggles and disappointments, Mohammed doesn't because of yuppie lifestyle and whether his promises may be well-intended. He truly doesn't understand what Ahmad or other immigrants are going through in day-to day life.

Bahrani's study of character is wonderfully helmed by his direction. Shot in three-weeks and through hidden cameras that is reminiscent of European post-war cinema, the film has an improvised feel that gives the film its realism. Though the pacing at 87 minutes might be slow, particularly in the first 15 minutes in telling Ahmad's day-to-day life. It's deliberate to understand his world as Bahrani, serving as the film's editor, conveys the sluggish pacing that Ahmad goes through in life. The direction overall is superb as it has a very low-budget feel as Bahrani shot the film with a small crew. The resulting work has an independent film that is never sentimental, never dramatized, and most of all, doesn't have anything phony in terms of suspense and storytelling.

Cinematographer Michael Simmonds does a fantastic job with the film's photography, notably the nighttime and morning sequences to show the moody yet strange world that is NYC. Art director Charles Dafler does a good job in showing the contrasting worlds of Ahmad in his little apartment to the posh, yuppie world of Mohammed with costume designer Elena Kouvaros doing an excellent job showing that contrast in the look in its clothing. Sound editor Abigail Savage does a fine job in capturing the intense atmosphere that is NYC in all of its sounds of car horns and tires on the pavement. Music composer Peyman Yazdanian brings a wonderfully moody score that is in a traditional, Pakistani-flute style that almost sounds electronic to convey the melancholic mood of Ahmad.

The film's cast which consists of unknowns and non-professional actors is superb with performances from Arun Lal and Razia Mujahid as Ahmad's in-laws, Hassan Razvi as Ahmad's son (supposedly, his real-life son), Ali Reza as Mohammed's friend Mannish, and Panicker Upendran as Noori, a friend of Ahmad who also works in a cart that he drags with his van. Charles Daniel Sandoval is good as the yuppie Mohammed who is a man that hopes to revive Ahmad's career yet his intentions are unclear as he has trouble understanding Ahmad's immigrant status. Leticia Dolera is excellent as Noemi, a Spanish woman working at newsstand who sympathizes Ahmad's situations while being confused by Mohammed's own intentions into taking her out.

Finally, there's Ahmad Razvi in a very low-key, non-dramatic performance as Ahmad. Razvi’s performance is superb in the way he acts towards the situations he's in and what's more surprising is how subtle is in the performance. There's a realism and sadness to what Razvi brings yet it's a performance that is unforgettable.

Man Push Cart is a wonderful gem of a film from Ramin Bahrani that is helmed by a fantastic performance from Ahmad Razvi. Fans of films about immigrants or fans of very small yet poignant independent films will enjoy this while more mainstream audiences should give this film a chance. It's a very realistic film about what immigrants go through working in NYC and how content they are in some ways in this role. It's a powerful film and it's a must-see.

Ramin Bahrani Films: Chop Shop - Goodbye Solo - Plastic Bag - At Any Price - 99 Homes - (Fahrenheit 451 (2018 film)) - The Auteurs #55: Ramin Bahrani

© thevoid99 2011