| Man Push Cart | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Ramin Bahrani |
| Written by | Ramin Bahrani |
| Produced by | Ramin Bahrani |
| Starring | Ahmad Razvi Leticia Dolera Charles Daniel Sandoval |
| Music by | Atif Aslam |
| Distributed by | Films Philos (North America) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Man Push Cart is a 2005 American independent film byRamin Bahrani that tells the story of a former Pakistani rock star who sells coffee and bagels from his pushcart on the streets of Manhattan.[1]
Early every morning, Ahmad (Ahmad Razvi), a Pakistani immigrant, struggles to drag his heavy cart along the streets of New York to a corner inMidtown Manhattan, where he sells coffee and bagels. He encounters a wealthy Pakistani businessman who offers him some work and financial assistance, promising also to introduce him to themusic scene. He also spends time with a young Spanish woman who works in a nearby newspaper and magazine kiosk. He is haunted by the death of his wife and is unable to spend time with his son. Just as it appears that he is making some progress in improving his life, an event occurs that pushes him back down again.
Atif Aslam's three songs were included in the film. "Aadat" is the main track while portions of the songs "Ehsaas" and "Yakeen" are also introduced in the film. All are taken from the albumJal Pari.
The film was met with critical acclaim; some critics have compared the film to the style and films of theItalian Neorealism andFrench New Wave movements. The film has a score of 89% onRotten Tomatoes based on 54 reviews with the consensus being that "This compassionate portrait of a New York City street vendor is as beautiful as it is melancholy."[2]
Film criticRoger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times awarded the film four out of four, and wrote that the film "embodies the very soul ofItalian neo-realism" and went on to say "Free of contrived melodrama and phony suspense, it ennobles the hard work by which its hero earns his daily bread" and "Bahrani, as director, not only stays out of the way of the simplicity of his story, but relies on it; less is more, and with restraint he finds a grimy eloquence."[3]
Michael Wilmington of theChicago Tribune liked the film and wrote a positive review saying "Ahmad's concerns — his sadness and his striving — become universal. Though his early-morning riser's world is gray and threaded with melancholy, it becomes, in the end, a place we recognize."[4]
Dana Stevens ofSlate wrote in her review "If one of the things movies are supposed to do is make you look anew at the world around you, you may never see your doughnut vendor in the same way again."[5] This was also iterated by Jack Matthews of theNew York Daily News who said "You'll think of him the next time you pass a cart."[6]
Johnathan Rosenbaum of theChicago Reader in his positive review said "it's a potent mood piece, and its portrait of urban loneliness has some of the intensity ofTaxi Driver without the violence."[7]
Time Out magazine wrote of the film saying, "What begins as a delineation of a man in a landscape becomes a study in sadness and stoicism, disorientation and even desperation, then finally, a delicate, rewarding and cliché-free enquiry into the complex heart of the lone immigrant experience."[8]
Stephen Holden ofThe New York Times liked the film and gave it a positive review saying "Man Push Cart is an exemplary work of independent filmmaking carried out on a shoestring. Mr. Razvi’s convincing performance is a muted portrait of desolation bordering on despair."[9]
Kevin Thomas of theLos Angeles Times wrote "It's by no means an exaggeration to describe this quietly powerful film asBressonian."[6]
The film had its world premiere at the 2005 Venice Film Festival. It entered the 2006Sundance Film Festival[10] and won the Fipresci Critic's Award at theLondon Film Festival. It was nominated for threeIndependent Spirit Awards[11][12] and was onRoger Ebert's list of the top 10 movies of 2006.