There are two films that are on the newly released tab—both showing that determination pays off.
In “Notice To Quit,” Andy Singer is a struggling New York City Realtor caught in the cycle of renting rundown apartments. He finds his world crashing down around him when his estranged 10-year-old daughter, Anna, shows up unannounced on his doorstep in the middle of his eviction.
She hadn’t seen her father much, and she and her mom are moving to Orlando, Florida.
He tries to explain to her why he’s being evicted, while also trying to reassure her that all will be well.
She goes with him to apartment showings that aren’t fit to be rented, but that’s the New York way.
At the exact moment, she calls him pretending to be interested in his latest offering, where he had poached an air conditioner from the garbage—all in a ruse to hasten the signing of the lease.
He is being pursued by thugs to whom he owes a debt. He’s either a scammer or just a broke New Yorker trying to survive.
After a harrowing day where he hides away from his ex-wife while trying to show his kid a good time, he finds all his belongings on the street—as his daughter rides away to a better life.
“Notice To Quit” is a quirky film written and directed by Simon Hacker and starring, among others, Michael Zegen, Kasey Bella Suarez, Isabel Arraiza and Michael Angelo Covino.
The film starts nationwide September 27.
The next film comes out of India—“Superboys of Malegaon.” This one premiered at the recent Toronto International Film Festival and will be released soon via Amazon MGM Studios. It’s from acclaimed director Reema Kagti in her latest collaboration with producers Zoya Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani.
The film is based on the life of Nasir Shaikh (“The White Tiger”), a self-made filmmaker from the town of Malegaon, India. The residents of the town look to Bollywood and American cinema for a much needed escape from daily drudgery. Nasir gets inspired to make a film for the people of Malegaon, by the people of Malegaon. He bands together his ragtag group of friends to bring his vision to life, thereby bringing a fresh lease of life into the town.
Based on a true story, “the film is a poignant yet uplifting take on the joys and struggles of filmmaking and the value of friendship—and what happens when those two worlds collide.” The film follows Nasir and his hometown Malegaon friends over several years, from no-budget, community-sourced film beginnings to larger aspirations. With equal parts comedy and adventure, the film shows the successful efforts of loyalty, imagination, love and passion.
Spanning from the late 1990s to 2010, this was a good watch—in that it showed the local folks joining together, either as filmmakers or willing moviegoers, to see themselves on screen. This was all done to reinforce pride in the community—sort of echoing what is going on now in Hollywood with diversity-centered filmmaking.
There’s a bit of acrimony between the writer and director and other crew members. But after they sort through their differences, and after a few films that are shown for townspeople in the video parlor, they make a final film dedicated to Shafique, played by Shashank Arora, who has abandoned his dreams of acting and is now struggling with a dire cancer prognosis. He is the star of that film titled “Superman of Malegaon.”
It’s a little crude, but Superman does, in fact, fly!
For those who love the cinema, no matter what country, this will serve as a pleasant moviegoers’ treat.
The film “Superboys of Malegaon,” subtitles in Hindi, Urdu dialogue, will be released soon by Amazon MGM Studios.