Review of Man Push Cart (2006) by Andrés C — 11 Jun 2009

Man, push, cart. Three words that completely dehumanize the man doing the pushing. Ramin Bahrani's debut effort, "Man Push Cart", sets his camera on the man that goes through life nameless, a conveniently located cart-owner who only knows his customers by their usual breakfasts. He is not the likely hero of your typical Hollywood film, rather a hero that embodies the Italian neo-realism movement. A scene where he chases after his stolen cart will instantly have you recalling "Bicycle Thieves". He's a hopeless man with seemingly no upward mobility. Nobody is on his side, and even less treat him as an equal person. He's just the guy that provides them their breakfast.

Ahmad Razvi, an unprofessional actor making his debut, plays Ahmad, a Pakistani immigrant who pushes a cart of bagels and coffee in post-9/11 New York City. Ahmad used to be a rock star in Pakistan, however he moved to America with his wife, who has now died, and his son, whom his relatives don't let him see. We don't know how any of this came to be - why he left for America, how his wife died, or why he can't see his child. This isn't a riches to rags story, it's about a man who can do nothing but continue to push forward. The problem, of course, is that the longer he keeps pushing, the longer he's going to be stuck in the exact same position.

A glimmer of hope enters his life when he meets the young and attractive Spanish woman, Noemi (Leticia Dolera), who takes over for a neighboring vendor cart. Love is out of the question for Ahmad, however, and she's more likely to end up with his yuppie customer, Mohammad (Charles Daniel Sandoval). Mohammad and Ahmad start up a friendship when Mohammad recognizes Ahmad as one of his favorite musicians. To return the favor for all the pleasure he's brought his life, he allows Ahmad breaks when painting his apartment.

Like most films in this style, money is the Holy Grail which our characters so desperately need. Ahmad is saving up for a new cart, which will have cost him $15,000 when all his payments are through. He also hopes to get a new place to live with his son, however when he fails to care for a young kitten it's clear that Ahmad may not be cut out for fatherhood either.

Bahrani, who has gone on to direct "Chop Shop" and "Goodbye Solo", directed this on a shoestring budget in just a few weeks. He's a refreshing director to watch - one that calls no attention to himself and simply lets his camera follow his characters. All of his films have featured unknown actors as these working class heroes, yet each film still manages to be remarkably different.

"Man Push Cart" loses a bit of it's momentum about an hour of the way in, but it's an important film that fits in perfectly with the other modern "neo-neorealist films" (as A.O. Scott has called them) like "Frozen River", "Wendy and Lucy", or "The Wrestler".