CHOP SHOP (2007)

‘I don’t want to go to a film that people say is optimistic and hopeful when nothing in that movie resembles the world I’m living in. That doesn’t make me optimistic and hopeful, that makes me depressed.’ -Ramin Bahrani

My first film of this Iranian-American independent filmmaker who just like those master humanitarians of Italian Neo-realism school, made a non-escapist artistic cinema that made you feel deep for the characters played so naturally by the non professional actors. Just like De Sica films, its shot on real locations, centered on characters of working class. No it’s not glamour of New York City; rather it’s opposite and unseen and yet everyday part of routine seedy side of city which is the hub of automobile garage, scrap yard and garbage bins scattered all around.

The film focuses on POV of a twelve year old child laborer named ‘Ale’. He works in garage, sells candies, chocolates and pirated DVDs and works hard from morning to evening to get his dream van and set up his independent business along with her teenage sister. With no emotive background score and utmost minimalist approach Bahrani showed us the character centered drama where particular social, familial, economic forces and culture shapes the identity of a character and it is absolutely a thing to watch here by all means. Its heartbreaking moments to witness how Ale’s relation with his sister collapses followed by his dram van and yet Bahrani kept open the positive spirit in the final few frames.

Eager to watch ‘Goodbye Solo’ and ‘Man Push Cart’made by the same director.

Ratings-8/10