Man Push Cart Review
The title of Ramin Bahrani's first feature gives a good preview of the neo-neorealist approach that would soon become synonymous with his work. Using the simple, non-grammatical speech patterns you might ascribe to a caveman, the title Man Push Cart cuts through to the basic, non-sexy quality of most working people's lives, which consist primarily of Sisyhpean tasks like pushing a breakfast cart between three distinct locations. Bahrani's intention is to peer into these lives without judgment, pity or intervention, an artistic goal that endures in such follow-up features as Chop Shop and Goodbye Solo. The Iranian-American director also has the prototypical immigrant experience on his mind; his main character is Ahmad (Ahmad Razvi), a Pakistani rock singer who achieved some fame in his home country, but whose professional goals have shifted radically since arriving in New York. Bahrani's preference for minimalism makes the mundane details of Ahmad's life fascinating; even the morning light reflecting off his cart's metal paneling has its own particular beauty. But this minimalism fails Bahrani in terms of fleshing out his characters. The idea of exposition for exposition's sake is entirely foreign to him, but the problem is that he goes halfway -- he makes his characters accessible enough that we understand their basic attitudes and personalities, but leaves out important pieces of their personal histories, as though giving an exact explanation of what's ailing them might be heavy-handed, might make the film resemble some piece of melodrama that's already in our collective consciousness. This is especially true of a crucial trauma in Ahmad's past. The director's approach deemphasizes the value of catharsis, and therefore leaves the ending of Man Push Cart feeling incomplete. Viewed not as an ending to this particular story, but rather, a beginning to Bahrani's career, it becomes a lot more exciting. Derek Armstrong, Rovi
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