Review of Chop Shop (2008) by Michael D — 24 Oct 2009

Bahrani's sophomore effort is a tough, gritty, and poetic look at the life of an orphaned street urchin (memorably played by non-actor Polanco), as he ekes out a life in the "iron triangle" junkyard of New York along with his sister.

Bahrani and his cinematographer, Michael Simmonds, create a harsh beauty in the ordinary, and draw emotion from everyday situations. Their locale is unique, and style impeccably suited to the material.

What prevents the movie from attaining greatness, however, is a lack of plotting. Certainly, there have been great American films about the day to day rigors of ordinary life (Kelly Reichardt's Wendy & Lucy being a prime example).

But those films had profoundly emotional payoffs. "Chop Shop" never really builds to anything. Still, its a strong piece of work, and it will be interesting to see how Bahrani grows as a filmmaker.