Review of Man Push Cart (2006) by Abstract A — 26 Apr 2006

[size=3][font=Trebuchet MS]New York City is a good standin for hell in this reworking of the Sisyphus fable, only this time, instead of a boulder, the condemned man is doomed to pushing a heavy cart to his corner of the city every morning. And our interest depends on the character and personality of the man doing the penance, in this case, an ex-Pakistani rock star is the object of this study, in real life a non-professional who once pushed a cart himself.

We learn about some of his personal losses. And we seem him fail to accommodate to the brash and relentless city around him. Why should he, really? There's never any indication that it would improve his already very moral character in any way at all. And yet the city promises to grind him into oblivion if he doesn't surrender to its illogic.

This is a beautifully realized film that clearly signals the beginning of a great career for the director, Bahrani. I wish him all the luck, though I worry about his trying to reach an American audience. Too many of us have surrendered to the illogic, I'm afraid.

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