Chop Shop, 2007
Ale (Alejandro Polanco) is an orphan living a precarious existence in New York with his older sister, Isamar (Isamar Gonzales). Living in a small space allotted to them by the man who runs the chop shop where Ale works, the two young people dream of one day owning a food truck. As they both hustle to earn money--sometimes by illegal means--the uncaring city environment perpetually threatens to turn on them.
There's always a moment when you go to watch a film about something like homeless children where you hold your breath a bit that it might be a misery slog. And don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that there isn't value in showing the brutal realities of how some people's lives look. But sometimes such films can veer into almost a freak show/exploitation lane where it feels as if the filmmaker is just constantly trying to one-up themselves in terms of pain and misfortune.
Chop Shop hits a really lovely balance between showing the harsh realities of living such a precarious life with so little social protection and showcasing moments of triumph and joy. It never tips over into that odious "maybe poor people are living the better lives" trope, but neither does it assume that there can't be glimpses of happiness even in a hard life.
Polanco is a totally captivating lead. He manages to exude both a street-savvy, world weariness and a child-like optimism. When he and his best friend spend a day hustling for dollars by selling candy on the subway, there's a great moment where the two of them look at each other before launching into a rehearsed bit. It's the kind of look two men in their 40s should be giving each other before a pointless business meeting, not a look that should be exchanged between two children who aren't even old enough to drive.
Gonzales is also very likable in her role as Ale's older sister. Because of her age and her gender, Isamar understands more about how much the world is willing to take from people who are desperate. But it's really lovely seeing how she escapes into a more childish frame of mind when she is around Ale, such as when the two of them banter about how they will paint and design their food truck.
While the two child leads are very engaging, the film wisely anchors the performances with a really strong turn from Ahmad Razvi as Ahmad, the operator of a rival chop shop with a soft spot for Ale. Perhaps nowhere is the pain and complication of Ale's life better demonstrated than in a sequence where Ale comes to suspect that Ahmad may be paying his sister for sex work. While people in the different chop shops show kindness or affection toward Ale, there is a limit. In this world there is always the sense that you aren't wondering if the other shoe will drop, just waiting for whose foot will be inside.
The film also makes really great use of the city as a backdrop. We don't see any active cruelty from the middle or upper class citizens. In fact, it is their indifference that condemns them and that strands Ale and Isamar in their situation. Ale listening to the crowd at a Mets game, or watching fans trickle in to watch the US Open---it is a part of the city that will never really be his except as a scavenger.
There is one plot point that didn't feel like it attained closure, and that has to do with Ale's friendship with a boy named Carlos (Carlos Zapata), whose uncle has promised to sell Ale and Isamar a food truck.
Overall a really strong film, full of memorable characters.