Roland E. Zwick Melodrama is easy; it's real-life that is hard - to depict on screen, that is.The low-budget independent comedy/drama "Gimme the Loot" proves that when you have a talented director and cast to work with - even with limited resources - it can be done.The movie features two streetwise kids, Malcolm and Sophia, who scrape by on grifting and scamming in a world full of grifters and scammers, with time out for the occasional drug sale or corner store heist just to keep life interesting. Their greatest kicks, however, lie in getting their spray paint cans out and emblazoning a wall with their artwork. They're clearly a product of the environment in which they've been raised. Sophia, in particular, takes no guff from the equally streetwise people who try to do to her what she does to others. She knows the rules of the streets better than any of them, and she's not about to let anyone else get the upper hand over her. Malcolm seems to be a bit more of a novice when it comes to mastering the territory, but his innate charm, goofy, disarming smile, and lanky awkwardness are crucial elements in his getting what he wants from others. Malcolm and Sophia are platonic best friends from way back, but they banter and bicker and complete one another like an old married couple."Gimme the Loot'"s greatest triumph lies in making two characters, who should by all rights be fairly loathsome based on what they do, wholly likable and appealing to the audience. This is due in no smart measure to the extraordinarily engaging performances by Ty Hickson and Tatiana Washington whose relaxed naturalism gives the film that air of freshness and authenticity so crucial to making it work. It's the verisimilitude that draws us in and the believability that keeps us there.The same goes for its neophyte writer/director, Adam Leon, who deftly captures the idiosyncrasies and rhythms of the New York City neighborhood in which it all takes place.The movie also makes some subtle observations about race and class in Malcolm's encounters with a white college girl who clearly wants to be a part of the 'hood culture, yet can't help but convey an air of superiority to both him and it."Gimme the Loot" doesn't have much of a "plot" in the conventional sense of that term. The movie merely chronicles a few days in the lives of these two very specific individuals. No big drama. No epiphanies or soul-shattering events. Just life as it is.

Melanie Martinsson What you can expect here is a very happy, upbeat yet disturbingly accurate depiction of how a lovestory in a graffitiwriting community works. Something to watch with your girlfriend :)Think; Realism with a happy soundtrack.I am seriously impressed with the acting talent and the direction here, not to mention the soundtrack. There are not that many Graff movies around, sadly. Let alone anyone that upbeat, save for this pearl right here. And as such this one pretty much automatically is up there with such other great Graff titles as Quality Of Life, and Bomb The System. Just got a tip about this very movie tonight actually, from one of my crewmates,and when it rains, it pours.Make it an indie flick at that. I hear It's crowdfunded??? Much respect to that. I am impressed, and hope forward to see more work from mr. Leon and the rest of the great actors/actresses in this movie.They really GET that awkward feeling when you are an awesome writer.... and you step into a room full of girls, where your behearted is also sitting at, you know?-MonstreOne, VSDL crew, Sweden.-

gavin6942 When their latest work is buffed by a rival crew, two determined graffiti writers embark on an elaborate plan to bomb the ultimate location: the New York Mets' Home Run Apple.For his feature film debut, director Adam Leon has really hit a home run his first time out of the gate. He was previously a production assistant for Woody Allen and somehow got Jonathan Demme to "present" this film (although what exactly this means is unclear), which will hopefully get it a little extra attention. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.Being a Midwesterner, I have no experience with graffiti wars, New York City, and general lower class big city culture. That made me worry I would not be able to identify with the characters. On the contrary, I found them very universal -- the goal of tagging a sign was foreign, but the bonds of friendship were not. And that is the real strength of this picture, is watching the two main characters grow as their endless stream of misadventures blow up in their faces.Even their mentor or idol, Champion, is something of a lost cause and is amusing in his own hopeless way. He claims to be something of a master criminal, but fails miserably when presented with a lock to pick -- and creates enough noise that the police could be alerted at any second! The romance angle never fully plays out, but this in some ways adds to the picture. Ginnie is quite the quirky character, and I would not be surprised if we saw actress Zoë Lescaze using this performance to launch a bigger acting career. (As of now, it seems she is working at the New York Observer, free of any acting responsibilities.) In short, I hope people find this one and give it a chance. I think there is plenty to love about it, and I stand behind everyone involved 100%

soncoman When most people think of foreign film, they think of films in a language they don't understand, locations they've never been to, actors they've never heard of, and stories unique to a specific culture. We often fail to acknowledge that there are places and cultures within our own borders that can be just as foreign to us as any Asian or European community."Gimme the Loot," which is playing at the San Francisco International Film Festival, is just such a film. Set in New York City's Borough of the Bronx (talk about a foreign land!) the film tells the story of Malcolm and Sofia, a "tagging team" that set their sights on the greatest "bombing" target in the history of New York graffiti. All they need is $500 to get access to the sight. And so the adventure begins…And that is just what this film really is – an urban adventure story. The story of two young people who set out on a trek and what happens to them along the way. If you're put off by the setting, or the language (which seems to have been scripted by David Mamet in the opening scene,) or the "Maguffin" of the graffiti bomb, please don't be. All those things are ancillary in this tale of the challenges in navigating the foreign land of inner city New York and what happens along the way. It's a funny, harsh, sweet, heartbreaking and oddly (though not unexpectedly) optimistic movie. For all the wrongdoing the couple perpetrate in their attempt to achieve their goal, you end up really liking the characters and kind of wishing they succeed.The two lead actors, Ty Hickson and Tashiana Washington, are terrific in their roles. While their inexperience shows through at times, for the most part they ARE Malcolm and Sophia. The director, Adam Leon, assured the Festival audience that they are both nothing like their characters ("Ty actually wears bow ties all the time.")Leon also had the advantage of having a former NYC tour guide work as his location scout, so the film transports you into parts of New York that you'd never get to see get to see on your standard city excursion. Shot on location over 21 days, every setting seems just right for this story.Special note should also be given to the soundtrack, which is absolutely what you would NOT expect for a story with characters of their age and environment. One would expect a plethora of hip hop or rap pulsing throughout the film, but be prepared for something just a little different.This is writer/director Leon's first feature and he's manages to deliver a film that, while small in budget, is big in heart. Well worth seeking out…www.worstshowontheweb.com