Review: ‘Prince of Broadway’ LAFF 08

Thank goodness for the La Film Fest and its general lack of organization. I was originally trying to get into the X-Files Sneak Peak panel but three line changes, two conflicting reports and a half an hour wait later, I still wasn’t getting in due to the requirement of a physical ticket along with my credentials (because sometimes a press pass just isn’t good enough for a thrall of screaming Chris Carter fans). So I strolled away and on a whim popped into the Regent theater mere moments before the world premiere of Prince of Broadway. In the typical random sway of film festival discoveries, I found my favorite film of the festival so far.

Prince of Broadway takes us to the streets; the cold, loud, tough streets of New York City. Walking its ranks are the hustlers, the young black males making their money by calling out to tourists on the street who are looking to buy the best of Nike, Prada and Gucci…or at least a quality reproduction. Lucky is one of these men, a guy with a life of comfortable mediocrity, selling knock off goods by day, smoking weed and enjoying the company of his girlfriend at night. She pleads for him to use the 2,000 grand he’s saved up to start college in the fall, but a hustler is always planning for the next big chance to get rich. Lucky works for Levon, the Armenian store owner who owns the shop with the secret door in the back where tourists are swiftly guided to check out the goods. The men have an easy working relation and friendship, although while Lucky goes off to his meager apartment at the end of the day, Levon has a nice place in Queens with his young wife. It’s a reliable situation until things shift dramatically with the return of Linda, a girl Lucky was seeing a little while back. At least a year and a half back, actually, since she arrives with a baby in her arms about that old, drops him in Lucky’s arms and announces that it’s now his turn to take care of the son he didn’t know he had. She splits town for two weeks, and Lucky suddenly finds his comfortable situation on the verge of a total meltdown.

Prince of Broadway is another film shot documentary-style for its low budget effectiveness, but here is a film where the process truly shines. The lives of these characters have so many hidden intricacies to explore that the shooting style for once doesn’t feel like its overpowering the on-screen action. Considerable praise for this feat goes to the talent involved, with the two leads former non-actors themselves, and the film’s dialogue developed through a series of improvisations. The work here is nothing short of inspired, and the film’s director Sean Baker manages to capture the most amazing moments from his cast, even from the film’s littlest star, Aiden Noesi, who emotes with more perfect timing than any child I’ve ever seen.

As Lucky and his new ward find themselves stuck together, the relationships established at the film’s start rapidly expand. Lucky and his girlfriend find a considerable obstacle to their relationship, Lucky finds that street hustling with customers loses its ease with a toddler hanging around his ankles, Levan encounters his own intimacy problems with his wife, and so on. The film shines in its subtlety; for such a funny film it is constantly catching its audience off guard with tender moments. The emasculation of Lucky by a child whose name he doesn’t even know is certainly funny, but watching him take the steps and responsibilities on to becoming a man are heartfelt. He learns the little lessons of fatherhood pushing a stroller through the snow and cleaning a baby’s “art project” made with its own doo-doo, and it all feels fresh. The basic fish out of water concept of the film has been done before but never with such grace and such a unique set of characters. “Life sucks with you,” Lucky tells his supposed son early on, but he rises to the task despite the slew of further problems the film throws his way and the journey is a joy to experience. From issues of urban male pride to the lack of young fathers taking care of their own, there is plenty to explore thematically, but even on the surface Prince of Broadway is genuine heartfelt entertainment.

[rating: 5/5]