Somewhere in the City (1998)

User Rating:

4.1/10   

Director:

Ramin Niami

Writers:

Patrick Dillon (writer)
Ramin Niami (writer)

Release Date:

18 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

The film portrays life of New York City's Lower East Side inhabitants. Introvert therapist Betty is befriended with Chinese immigrant Lu Lu...

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Cast

Sandra Bernhard	...	Betty
Ornella Muti	...	Marta
Robert John Burke	...	Frankie
Peter Stormare	...	Graham
Ling Bai	...	Lu Lu
Paul Anthony Stewart	...	Che
Bulle Ogier	...	Brigitte
Linda Dano	...	Television Producer
Bill Sage	...	Bill Sage
Steven Schub
Kim Walker	...	Molly, Texas Acting Student
John Fugelsang	...	Henry
Robert H. Shapiro	...	Larry
Kelly Dupre	...	2-Kool
Jimmy Noonan	...	Brian

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexuality, language and for brief drug use.

Runtime:

Brazil:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R

Company:

Sideshow Inc.

What a surprise!

I put this film in the queue on a whim after a recent trip to NYC, and I couldn't believe I'd never heard of it anywhere! It has all the makings of a cult classic, starting with the characters. They are archetypal roles we recognize from every stretch of daily life, but were so nuanced and fully realized by the actors playing them (Peter Stormare and Bai Ling's performances were particularly strong). Their interactions are poignant and grounded while at the same time brimming with a subtle, quirky humor that is (sadly) all too rare in American films these days. Writer/director Ramin Niami does a beautiful job of weaving these scenes together into a funny and moving portrait of a city of the past. Highly recommended!