6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tenderloin Review, July 20, 2010
This review is from: Tenderloin (DVD)
I was lucky enough to chance upon this gem at the Mill Valley Film Festival...it was thoughtful and funny, gorgeously shot, and impeccably cast. Tenderloin makes human a very real and often ignored part of San Francisco. It allowed me to linger and know a place that I usually rush past. Thank you to those of you who made it!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Real Deal, August 4, 2010
This review is from: Tenderloin (DVD)
I had also seen this film at the Mill Valley Film Festival and had been struck by its narrative truth and power. I was wondering when it would get distributuion and am delighted that it has! If you are in the mood for a bit of All-American neorealism with effortlessly naturalistic performances, this film is for you! It's gritty, has a wonderful documentary feel, and will stay with you long after the last image.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Neorealismo San Francisco Style, June 11, 2011
This review is from: Tenderloin (DVD)
I'm a fan of Neorealism and the French New Wave, and would rather watch a gutsy low budget film with heart, even if it has some flaws, than a big budget production where expensive technology and star power are the film's focus. Not that I can't enjoy the latter, just the former is my preference, so that's the angle this review is from.
The Tenderloin neighborhood in SF can be a tough, gritty environment, but also can be a place where humor, grace and the best of people can be see in response to all that. I say this having done a fair bit of photojournalism on the streets there, including late night work shooting photos at a hole in the wall drag bar in the neighborhood. I found the look, story and attitude of this film right on in capturing the spirit of the place and people, so if you are curious about what can be learned about America and the human condition in the flophouse hotels of bohemian San Francisco, this film is well worth a look. This film is low budget, and so has its awkward moments technically and otherwise, but what's left is fun, smart, sexy, heartfelt and grounded in ways that I enjoyed very much and that have stayed with me. The literary roots of this type of Neorealism in film are more Dickensian morality tale than Zolaesque naturalism, so the tragicomic nature of the tale may at times seem a bit melodramatic to some, but personally I took that as part of the package and also not far from many of the characters' ways of seeing the world and living it.
The filmmakers did a great job with a tiny budget, and there was a mix of experienced folks with newcomers in the credits which suggests that the film may also turn out to be a project that launches more than one talent to the next level. The lead actors impressed, and the support actors in the "character roles" were really a treat. The soundtrack is awesome. Wish it was out on CD, or even as an MP3 download -- how about it, guys?
This film is like the joking, mischievous drag queen sister of Rob Nilsson's darker, more wry films about the Tenderloin, but I believe there is a place for both visions in the overall documentation of the neighborhood and the larger adventure of human life.
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