bbickley13-921-58664 The Bronx is alive with this film.This is the neighborhood that I came up in. It's so actuate to the New York flavor and it was filmed right in my upbringing.It starts on the streets of the Bronx and spreads all over the place, the village, Queens, etc. It hits the mark of everything New York is now.And the cinematography helps to give it that realness.Two best friends plan to graffiti bomb the Mets Home Run Apple by getting enough money to bribe a friend to let them into Shea stadium(not Citi field(perfect). They'll gonna get this money anyway they can. But the movie is about more than this, It's about being a teenager and having a relationship with the only person on the planet who gets you. Malcolm is lucky cause when I was his age my Significant other was a dude, he got pretty girl in Sofia who was as gangsta as she was pretty.The movie is all about capturing this moment, and using the city as a beautiful background. It made me relate more, but who doesn't known what it's like to have a friend to battle the world with.Loved it! This is my New York!!

Mubz Graffiti art duo, Malcolm (Hickson) and Sofia (Washington), constantly find their work besmirched by rival crews. However, in the pursuit of acclaim in the street art circuit, they embark on an elaborate plan to 'bomb' the ultimate location: the New York Mets' Home Run Apple.Like the creative forces this film depicts, be it in street art, skills on the basketball court, or delivering bars of lyrical mastery, it is drenched in innovation and meaning. There are few moments that will fail to make you feel something. It is not all about the desire to make some statement in return for street-cred, nor is it too heavily founded upon the obstacles of an impoverished background. Art takes the lead, it has meaning, it is the fuel that drives Malcolm and Sofia, like so many others, and it is appreciated and celebrated so stylishly here that you can't help but enjoy the film.The rapport between the two protagonists is delightful, a perfect balance of that awkward young love feeling, and the crude wittiness of true friendship. Every fourth word is a profanity, and almost every line has a quip, but each is as funny as the last. The story doesn't rewrite any rulebooks, but its charm transcends its simplicity leaving something fresh. The actual story, that is 'bombing' the Mets' Apple, takes a back seat to the human relationships and the vibrant street life of New York. It effortlessly captures locale and character alike, simultaneously exposing the fragility of youthful ego and the effervescence of 'street' competition.Verdict: Hipper than a Sugarhill Gang beat with enough profanity to warrant several swear jars, this is a film of ingenuity and charm. Lovingly crafted and effortlessly performed, Leon's debut is a success exhibiting cinematic excellence.

Sergeant_Tibbs Every so often we get a film made by young passionate filmmakers that offers us a fresh perspective on an overlooked aspect of society that speaks to everyone in an entertaining, powerful and mature way. Gimme The Loot is very close to being that film this year. Although it attempts for a realistic view, it's still very textured, capturing these few hot summer days in brilliant voyeuristic wides. While its rich in character, it does suffer on the story side. Although it has a simple setup of goal and problem, their journey to solving the problem feels meandering and unfocused, drifting away from their desires too often. However, the character work is brilliant, especially due to the great performances from Hickson and especially Washington, it does a great job of humanising these vandals. It's just a shame that it doesn't feel like it's paid off what it set up in the end. 7/10

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