Move over, Bollywood (or at least Williamsburg) there's a new hipster mecca: a little island named Staten (or Staaten Eylandt for our Dutch readers). It's the rise of Shaolin Cinema. Two recent indie films were not only filmed on the borough, but actually take place there. Really. While Big Fan and, yes, Staten Island, aren't necessarily Hard Eight or Reservoir Dogs, they're what we in the business like to call "a start". And while it pains me to admit there are similarities to the over-filmed Brooklyn--and godforgiveme, the Jersey Shore--the Island has a wealth of cultural nuances all its own. The psychic underpinnings of being the "forgotten borough" alone would make a showcase historical drama. So it goes.
As for the films we do have, my biggest gripe about James DeMonaco's wittier than expected Staten Island is that there isn't enough Staten Island. When you make such an overt point of establishing a setting, you have to make that place a character in itself. Yes, it's not New Orleans or Paris, but cinematically speaking, it is an exotic locale that should be used to the director's advantage. (For more on this movie and Italian-Americans, check out what my fellow Malter, Vin, has to say.)
Big Fan does a better job of utilizing the Island, in particular a certain mindset that is instantly familiar to anyone who grew up there. It's a small movie, but it comes across as real, a subtle character study that reminded me in tone of The Wrestler which makes sense since it was written by the same guy, Robert D. Siegel (making his directoral debut here). Free fact: Siegel is also the former editor-in-chief of The Onion.
Know what's an incredibly underrated movie? A Bronx Tale. Directed by? Robert DeNiro. Now I'm not asking for or expecting an SI DeNiro or Scorcese. But, how about A Staten Island Tale?
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