Day #1 - Chop Shop

Well, I didn't watch Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  It was 2.5 hours long and I have been at work all day, and have to go back tonight.  It didn't take long for me to figure out how hard or near impossible this is going to be.  I need to balance a 60+ hour a week job, with the time I want to spend with my children and my girlfriend.  Finding around 14 hours a week to delicate to watching movies and another 7-10 researching and writing this blog is going to be a chore.  I am curious to see how many I can cram into a year though.

Although I didn't see what I was expecting, I did manage to squeeze in a film.  The 2009 movie Chop Shop.  Ramin Bahrani is the director behind the camera and a leading figure in what is being titled as a neo-neo-realism film movement.   This genre and it's practitioners (including Bahrani, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, and a host of others) strive to showcase original stories in real life settings generally using non-professional actors.  Most of the camera work in these films is hand held and generally shot digitally.   All in an attempt to capture "the truth".  These films blur the line between fiction and reality.  They could be described and quasi documentary.

In Chop Shop the male lead is a young boy named Alejandro.  He is growing up in the Iron Triangle area of New York.  He spends all day, every day working his butt off at the body shops that populate this region of the town.  He lives in what is basically a large closet above one of the shops.  His older sister is living there also.  Together they are trying to scrounge up enough cash to buy a food truck.  They have dreams and aspirations of getting out of the ghetto and making a better life for themselves.

Unfortunately dreams and aspirations are all they have.  This movie does an excellent job of simply presenting there struggle with making judgments or playing the sentimental card.  It is not in the least bit manipulative.  Bahrani lets his camera roll during the good times, bad times, and everything in between. 

The acting is flawless and completely non self aware.  I have no idea how he got this caliber performances out of non-professional actors.  but maybe that is how.  These young actors aren't coming to these projects with any preconceived notions or egos. 

All in all this is a great film and a wonderful way to start off my 365 days of film.

I need a rating system of some sort.  If I was to borrow Netflix's I would give this a 4/5 stars.  Follow the link below to watch the trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fUjusA87QI