Malcolm (Ty Hickson, Killer) can’t stop moving, even when he’s standing still. Day and night, he treads the pavement of his Bronx neighbourhood with his graffiti partner Sofia (Tashiana Washington, Gun Hill Road), brimming with unrest and youthful enthusiasm, and desperate to find a way to make something his own. Every attempt through sprays of paint is thwarted by their Queens rivals, leaving the determined duo to forge a new plan. Their target: the New York Mets’ Home Run apple. Their mission: to make the world take notice. Their stumbling block: the $500 needed to bribe the stadium staff to gain access.
So unfolds writer/director Adam Leon’s gorgeously, grittily-shot Gimme the Loot, an easy caper of unbridled energy. That relaxed vibe is not flaw – in fact, it is far from it, with the sharp, smart film revelling in the endearing laid-back atmosphere. For two summery, sunshine-laden days and busy, blistering nights, Malcolm and Sofia circle and scam, trying any avenue to make money; for 81 minutes, Leon casts their cheeky crusade in a winsome glow of exuberance and authenticity. As the teens literally beg, borrow and steal to make their spectacular splash, the filmmaker takes the audience along for the ride, all buried emotions, brazen acts and breezy conversations.
The slight central idea – of a couple, whether by romance or friendship, walking, talking, wheeling and dealing – is far from new, nor is the informality that radiates from their well-matched pairing. Neither are their humorous episodic escapades as they embark upon an urban adventure of pilfered paint, stolen sneakers, devious drug deals and alluring upper-class party girls, recalling the typical coming-of-age cavorting of much more comedic fare; however, the weight of obviousness and familiarity is pleasingly absent.
Instead, momentum drives the mischievously meandering feature, the script alive in the character’s careening experiences. In his first full-length effort, Leon draws his narrative, thematic and visual inspiration from the inimitable spirit of the New York City surroundings, the texture of the streets and the richness of the locals, every scene a meticulous construction of detail despite the freewheeling execution. The largely inexperienced cast slide seamlessly into the refreshing low-key looseness, the rapport between Hickson and Washington another of film’s many joys. Their amusing, earnest chats exude not only warmth and wit but the wisdom of reality, just as their performances glow with vividness, vulnerability and validity.
Gimme the Loot may have a well-deserved 2012 SXSW Film Festival best narrative feature prize to its name, alongside an unsuccessful Independent Spirit Award nomination, but its underdog air is not going anywhere fast – it simply fits the simple but satisfying feature too well. The ideal combination of restless kinetics and rough-around-the-edges charm, there’s plenty to like and indeed love about the engaging offering; a true unpolished gem with meaning, movement, hope and heart.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Gimme the Loot
Director: Adam Leon
USA, 2012, 81 mins
Revelation Perth International Film Festival
www.revelationfilmfest.org
4 – 14 July
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