I think he’s quite brilliant. Chop Shop makes for an interesting comparison with Slumdog Millionaire. They’re both about the amalgamation of hope and desperation that follow poverty. But Chop Shop has more truth in one minute than all of Slumdog.
Bahrani is really turning out to be something special.
He’s making films similar to, and just as poundingly realistic, as those films coming out in the Romanian New Wave movement happening right now. Really a great filmmaker.
@ Robert
Nice comparison.
His films are astounding. I’ve only very rarely seen a director capture American life so perfectly, in only two films. I would put both of them in a list of the best films of the decade, just amazing work. I’m extremely excited for Goodbye Solo, one of the few films this year I’m truly getting my hopes up for.
Thanks for starting the topic Anthony N! Yes I think he is one of the most promising ‘new’ directors of the last few years. GOODBYE SOLO is definitely my favorite but Man Push Cart and Chop Shop are very good too. I wasn’t even aware that he is becoming ‘one of the most talked about American filmmakers’ – very glad to see.
He’s a great American filmmaker. His main characters have been Pakistani, Latino, Iranian, and now Senegalese… yet they’ve all been Americans and he’s continuing to show what America has been becoming for a long time. With Goodbye Solo, he uses his own hometown to show a southern town that has changed so much and uses a foreign cab driver that could’ve easily been a story told in NYC a decade ago.
Solo is my favorite film of Bahrani’s to date and I think it was such a beautiful human story that is impossible to walk away unaffected by.
I’ve only seen Man Push Cart and it stayed with a long time (with me still, I should say). I’m anxious to see his others. There was a fascinating, long article in the New York Times a few weeks ago, on “Neo-Neo-Realism”, and Bahrani is one of the filmmakers discussed; the article contains extracts from an interview with him. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/magazine/22neorealism-t.html?_r=1&ref=movies
I hate how much this guy is being pushed down our throats as the next big thing in American cinema. Please…
Well, Parham, I’d say no one is saying he’s the “next big thing.” He’s the “present big thing”—no one is predicting anything about him, only praising the great work he’s doing now.
Parham, I think it’s safe to say that out of all the young, American filmmakers to currently be working within the realm of low-budget, self-financed independent cinema, Ramin Bahrani is perhaps the most talented, and possibly the most important in terms of his work lasting throughout the course of time.
He’s one of the few who’s actually using independent cinema to create small works of art that could only exist in this period of American history, as opposed to taking a DV camera and making movies about self-important 20 somethings and their upper-middle class “issues”. And into the world of Hollywood, there’s no way anyone could seriously praise the fanciful, poverty chic dreck of Slumdog Millionaire when confronted with a film like Chop Shop, which really gives you a first hand look into the lives of poverty stricken youth in a modern metropolis.
I will say, though, in response to the NYTimes article… phrases like “Neo-Neo-Realism” are as detestable as things like “mumblecore”, and only show a lack of intelligence in those who can seriously lump a group of films together under such a ridiculous banner.
@ Brandon
Haha, true… true…
Although I think Slumdog fits more into the realm of fantasy-realism than neo-neo-realism. It’s really a love story, and not supposed to be as adept at displaying the lives of the poverty-stricken as much as Chop Shop. I love both films.
The only thing that bothered me a bit about Goodbye Solo was the relatively unrealistic treatment of Blowing Rock.
more clueless wonders
I’ve only seen Man Push Cart and I was completely unimpressed. I know that Ebert is talking this guy up as being the next great American filmmaker but I found that film to be completely amateur and boring. The performances were so cringeworthy and the way the film is presented just felt like any other independent film that never finds distribution. Now I haven’t seen his other films so I can’t comment on them but with his debut flick, I just don’t get it.
Maybe you can expound on that Fredo. Saying something like “…amateur and boring…” doesn’t really mean anything. What exactly did you not like about the film?
The film was obviously shot on digital and it looks it. I felt the cinematography was terrible, and not in the John Cassevetes/cinema verite/good way. The film looked poorly lit, poorly exposed, and like something made by a bunch of amatuers. I’ve had to watch a lot of independent screeners so I’ve seen my fair share of terrible, unreleased films and this movie reminded me of that. The actor who plays the guy that hires Ahmad to work in his apartment was so bad I could barely stand it. Is that guy even an actor?
The story is an interesting one but the way this guy’s job and life is presented felt very undramatic and left me not caring at all about him. There was so much repetition of him pushing that cart down the street day after day that it seemed like overkill, especially when nothing new ever happens. At the very least, shoot him pushing that cart in a different way, to at least keep the audience engaged.
Hopefully that helps! Like I said, I haven’t seen Chop Show or Goodbye Solo but if they’re anything like Man Push Cart, I’m probably going to be pissed. lol
And it should be noted that at this point, Roger Ebert is the last guy I’d listen to regarding anything. I mean come on, he thought Juno was the best film of 2007!
Most films shot on digital look it. It’s not a bad thing. I couldn’t disagree more about the cinematography. For what it was, which was basically just taking a camera on the streets and shooting (without a permit), I think Bahrani had a very focused, and intimate vision for this film. The camera fit every situation. And no no one in the film is a professional actor. Again, not a bad thing. He was realistic, but, I agree, not a great actor.
The film is purposely undramatic. In fact he’s been called a “neo-realist” type filmmaker (I don’t agree with that, but I disagree with almost all labels). The repetition is meant to add to his struggle, and tragedy. it’s another purposeful element in the film. Who says nothing new happens? He meets a former fan of his, he meets a woman, he gets a kitten, and he gets his cart stolen. That’s just as much as would happen in most films, it’s just done in a more realistic, and more tragic manner than most films. And if he kept shooting him pushing the cart in a new and different way there would be people talking about how inconsistent his camera is. The choice to show this man getting up at 4 am, and pushing a cart every day, and shooting it the same way every day is the right choice.
Roger Ebert is not the reason to like, or dislike this film. It’s a great film, and if Ebert sees that good.
I’m a big fan of neo-realism and I’m a supporter of directors using non-professional actors (as discussed in previous threads). But just because you use a non-professional doesn’t mean it’s neo-realism and certainly doesn’t mean it’s automatically more real. There’s a right way and a wrong way to make a “realistic” film and people like Gus Van Sant, Erick Zonca, Jonathan Demme, Noah Baumbach are good examples of contemporary filmmakers who have been able to make good realistic films. I just felt Bahrani is not one of these people and find it impossible to discern his greatness as a director compared to so many wannabe directors shooting on video.
“Most films shot on digital look it. It’s not a bad thing”
I couldn’t disagree more but I’m a film snob so that’s to be expected I suppose.
“which was basically just taking a camera on the streets and shooting”
Lance Acord had to take this approach with Lost In Translation and although he has said it was a very harrowing experience, it’s a good example of a professional, talented cinematographer being able to shoot in the streets and make it look good. Again, there’s a good way and a bad way to take this approach and like I said before, Man Push Cart seemed like the bad way – the amatuer way.
Have you ever seen Killer of Sheep? One of the best student films I’ve ever seen, but the acting in that film is worse than in Man Push Cart, but the story in both overcomes these small problems.
I didn’t say using non-professionals automatically makes the film real. In this film the strong, grounded, and realistic story makes the film real. Digital has its good side, and bad side, just like film. Man Push Cart looks good, and I really don’t think it’s a point to criticize. To shoot on film would have been much more expensive, and it really does seem snobbish (as you put it) to dislike something for such a minor aesthetic reason. The equivalent would be criticizing a film for being in colour.
Again, to say the film is amateurish isn’t real criticism. I can say that about any film.
I have not seen Killer of Sheep but I have wanted to for some time. For myself, acting is a huge reason I fell in love with films so when I see a film with bad acting, it’s not a small problem but rather a big one. But I recognize a lot of people can look past bad performances when watching movies (obviously, as I would say at least 90% of films in theater have horrible acting). As well, I would disagree that the choice to shoot digitally was not a minor aesthetic reason. I think it’s a huge decision and has ramifications that permeate every other aspect of the film (and any decent cinematographer would know that what format the movie is shot is not a small decision).
I feel that criticizing a film for being amateurish is completely legitimate, especially when I outlined what I’m defining as amateurish (that is to say, the film doesn’t look like it was made by someone who knew what he was doing in the sense of understanding the medium). This is of course my opinion based on his first film – it’s quite possible his other films do not suffer from this. I don’t know – I’m simply speaking from the film I’ve seen and my reaction to it. Again, I’m all for realism and breaking Hollywood convention (Wendy and Lucy and Ballast are two recent examples of films I really liked). But you must know the rules (at least in terms of what an audience expects) before you can break them. Man Push Cart just seemed like a film made by a guy who decided to buy a video camera and shoot his friends doing stuff for a couple weeks (I’m sure this is not what happened, as I know Bahrani is an educated guy but this is what it seemed). Well, anybody can do that.
It should be noted that Ramin Bahrani works incredibly close with his DP, and they have conceived of the past two films together. I had the pleasure of spending a weekend working with Michael at a work shop. Really insightful guy, incredibly great to work with.
I like Man Push Cart, though the form does sometimes step in the way of the film. Chop Shop, though, is really incredible.
And acting is just one small component of what makes a film great. Get over it.
“As well, I would disagree that the choice to shoot digitally was not a minor aesthetic reason.”
Well, what I meant was when deciding whether you want to spend a few thousand, maybe less, on a film shooting on digital instead of over ten grand shooting on film there isn’t much of a decision, especially when you’re a college kid just out of Columbia, and probably in quite a decent amount of debt.
Other than that you’ve defended you’re position well. Thanks for the debate I enjoyed it.
Really? Thanks! You defended your position well too. haha
Like I said before, without having seen his other films, I’m reluctant to dog on him completely. And it may just be a personal taste thing with me. But I will try to see his other films soon (I actually meant to see Goodbye Solo when it was in the theaters a couple months ago).
@Erick – “And acting is just one small component of what makes a film great. Get over it.”
I believe most people agree with you and that’s why most films have such horrible acting (and why people are in love with awful actors like Shia Labouf) – because people don’t care. I choose to care because I love seeing great actors give great performances.
Wow. This discussion must have been a loooong time ago.
haha
HAHAHA ^
good for u guys for stirring up these old topics tho
What’s up with Bahrani, anyway? I know he’s got something more mainstream coming out this year (or at least has bigger stars) but it seems like he’s been pretty quiet the last couple years.
Goodbye Solo is still the best Independent American film I’ve ever seen. Souleymane Sy Savane and Red West have a great chemistry. I have seen this film twice in two weeks in the film festival back in my home country. I wasn’t surprised that mostly all screenings were sold out. Ramin Bahrani did a great job with this one. I still need to watch his other films.
Can’t agree with you more about Goodbye Solo, Jonas. A great film.
One of the best filmmakers working today. Has only made three films and all of them have blown me away. I think his best at the moment is Man Push Cart. Only time i’ve seen a film so silently and emotionally profound from the last decade as Man Push Cart was Distant-… and Goodbye Solo.
Anthony N
With Man Push Cart, Chop Shop, and Goodbye Solo he is becoming one of the most talked about American filmmakers.
Any thoughts on his work?