p.newhouse@talk21.com
It takes considerable artistic bravery and conceit to make a film such as this one, in the style in which it is put together. Although there are more than two characters in this film, it is essentially a two-hander, carried by John Leguizamo and the eleven- year-old David Castro as his stepson. It takes tremendous guts for a film-maker to entrust their creation to just two actors, especially when one of them is so young. But these two actors were perfectly cast, and my attention was held fast until the credits rolled. I watched it twice on the day that the DVD arrived. The film is an unflinching look at the life of a homeless family in New York, and it tells you all you need to know without melodrama, and still manages to remain spare, lean, and breathtaking. I have friends who have lived homeless, and this is their story. If you want to understand the homeless trap, then watch this. I waited years to buy this film. Don't make the same mistake.
Pro Jury
This will contain spoilers.The general idea of this movie is telling the tale of a father dealing with a mountain of difficulties when his family finds themselves kicked out of their public housing and must live in a shelter.I found all of the actors to be appealing. The story was OK, although some of it seemed to be a by-the-numbers retread of Russle Crowe's boxing movie "Cinderella Man".However, WHERE GOD LEFT HIS SHOES has a weakness that is totally distracting. The movie's tone is realistic. Dry realism as in any serious drama. Yet time after time, there are small little things that reek of amateur hour. For example...1) The rich business owner is walking around his living room eating from a plate of meatballs, and his plate just happens to have an extra fork on it for a unexpected guest to share.2) The father wakes up in the morning and pulls away his blankets and quickly starts his day and speaks his lines, and his feet happen to already have his boots on and laced up.3) I find it unrealistic that a hungry person will so energetically refuse to eat good food unless there is a direct and clear reason.Not a bad movie, but not all that good either.
dbborroughs
John Leguizamo stars as a father whose family ends up in a homeless shelter at Christmas time. On Christmas Eve he gets word that an apartment they applied for is there's however a catch, he must have a job by five pm that day in order to get it. Leguizamo and his son then head off in an effort to find a job so that they will have a home on Christmas morning. Darkly hopeful tale about the power of family to make things alright is an okay film. Its a great looking film that really feels like New York at the holidays, but at the same time it feels very much like a film that is wearing its independent nature on its sleeve like a badge of honor. The result is that the film never fully clicks. To me the film seems like its trying too hard to be about something. I'd like to give points to Leguizamo for a nicely rounded portrait of a family man trying to do the best he can. It's a warts and all portrayal that helps keep his character some one we want to watch. Worth a look if the subject matter interests you.
BobWasson
I was pleasantly surprised when I rented this direct to video release. I didn't have a high expectation because most direct to DVD movies aren't great. Actually even the theatrically released films are usually a disappointment. John Leguizamo's performance was excellent as well as the rest of the cast. The little boy was great. It was very well written and directed. Everyone who worked on this should be very proud. The ending left me a little disappointed. It would have been nice to get a warm and fuzzy ending but still a great movie worth watching. It's nice to see a quality film that tells a story, has a message and actually develops characters that you care about. John did a great job making us believe in his character and forgetting we were watching an actor.
AD
