I looked forward to the release of Gimme the Loot. Noel Murray, a critic I typically trust, suggested that it "has an energy that's been missing from independent film lately" and is "a bright lively movie, with a vision of New York as a multicultural free-for-all, where everybody's always looking to see what they can take from everybody else." Unfortunately, Gimme the Loot didn't quite match this recommendation. Instead of something fresh or exciting, I saw a familiar coming of age tale set in a sometimes-theatrical/sometimes-realistic New York.
In the film, Malcolm (Ty Hickson) and Sofia (Tashiana Washington) wander through New York, raiding various sources to scrounge up enough cash to bribe a Citi Field guard who will let them in to tag the Mets' apple (the Holy Grail of tagging, we're told in the opening credits). In the process, though, they end up learning a little something about life. Malcom delivers weed to and makes out with a scion of the 1% (Zoe Lescaze), but after he develops feelings for her, she embarrasses him in front of her aristocratic friends in a way that seems unrealistically cruel (addressing him as "drug dealer" rather than "Malcolm"). The scenes with her - and she ends up strangely occupying a decent amount of the film's running time - make obvious points about cultures clashing, but this interaction doesn't reveal anything new. As Malcolm and Sofia continue their quest, they grow closer than just tagging buddies, but the energy of Hickson and Washington keeps the film from sinking beneath standard life lessons/romance plot elements.
While I may have expected too much in the way of graffiti culture (based on the film's title and premise), I do believe that it's important to establish the cultural importance of graffiti . Including a bit more about the art form could lend Malcolm and Sofia's mission more significance and allow the film to fit into a greater NYC hip-hop film heritage. We see Malcolm and Sofia tag things a few times in the city and they seem to be invested in marking the apple, but it never really feels as if this act is that important in their lives. Maybe it would be difficult to work that into the film in a natural way, but I'd be far more interested in a flawed graffiti film than a run-of-the-mill bildungsroman. Lescaze's character at one point chides Malcom's pride in tagging as stupid (which Leon intends to add to her sheltered world view), but it ends up feeling like an accurate assessment. Tagging is just an action that Malcolm and Sofia do, but it seems to hold no real importance. Further, the film doesn't attempt to fit their graffiti into the complex web of hip-hop Culture that combines art, music, and philosophy. We only hear a hip-hop song once during the film, while most of the soundtrack is devoted to mellow bluesy tunes. In a weird way, the song choice highlight's the nature of Gimme the Loot. It's a polite and unbiased film that doesn't really take chances or offer a novel perspective on the presented events. It's not a failure, but it's so slight as to be instantly forgettable.
I don't have a problem with hangout films or films in which people wander around a city discussing life. I do, however, find it problematic when the conversations feel unnatural and the hanging out is couched in a culture that the filmmaker never really captures. If you can enjoy it for its tight, breezy tale, then don't let my disappointment get you down. But, if you're looking for something more than going through the usual "indie" motions, please look elsewhere.
I have a sneaking suspicion that saying "bildungsroman" three times in a row summons forth a pasty spirit who makes popcorn and watches John Hughes movies with you.
Crew & Cast
Written & Directed by Adam Leon
Cast
Tashiana Washington - Sofia
Ty Hickson - Malcolm
Zoe Lescaze - Ginnie
Joshua Rivera - Rico