Bushwick

Like others, I heard about the film because Aesop Rock posted on Facebook saying he was doing the score. So I wasn't expecting much beyond a cool soundtrack...

From the first scene, it's apparent that winning an Oscar isn't the top priority. The dialogue isn't fluent and the acting is stunted, and we're thrown in with the action almost right away: streets are burning, we don't know why, let's get the hell out of here. The top priority, it seems, is creating a video game-like war-torn corner of NYC through which the protagonists must try and survive. And it does this well.

It only took a few minutes for me to start honestly enjoying it. The main driving force is the perspective: a single hand-held camera doing long continuous takes, so the whole movie, having been edited to cut different takes seamlessly together, runs like an entire 90 minute one-shot. It makes you feel as if you're there with them, experiencing the action unfold, no tea break, and the ridiculous plot and forced acting combine to make it feel like you've stepped directly into a '90s B-movie or a shoot'em up arcade game set in Brooklyn. It's really pretty cool, and almost makes me think that the silly plot and acting were intentional. Maybe, maybe not.

If you're looking for a political thriller, a thinking man's action movie, cool martial arts/fight scenes, or any amount of emotional realism, look elsewhere. But if you're happy with a mindless yet oddly engrossing bang bang movie, this might be fun.

If "Bushwick" had been shot in a traditional way, I would have given it 6 stars. The story - a survival tale - has been done many times before, and is nothing to write home about.

The use of steady cam is, however. 'Bushwick' is one long continuous shot, where you don't notice the cuts (much like 'Birdman'). You are taken right into the action. There's no shakycam, no quick editing, just a camera constantly hovering beside, in front of and in the back of the action. How refreshing.

I wish that more movies were shot like this.

I've said many times in past reviews "I wanted to like this film, but I couldn't". This is the first time in my over 250 reviews I'm saying the opposite.

Going into this, I had very low expectations, and from the very start, those expectations were met with the very poor acting and dialog, followed by the start of an outrageous story-line.

As the story continued, I began to notice that the camera angles (poorly aimed in some scenes) were similar to video games like Call of Duty. Then I noticed the background music was similar as well. For a few minutes I thought to myself "oh boy, this movie is gonna be a waste of time", but oddly enough, all those factors started to grow on me, including the bad acting/dialog.

Then I started to notice the directing and cinematography were actually quite good - and those poorly aimed camera angles actually made the scene very realistic, especially for a B-type low budget film with two amateur directors, Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott.

Oddly enough, I also started to look past the poor acting and dialog from Dave Bautista and Brittany Snow and instead, became fond of their characters, and able to relate to them as just 'average Joe's' trying to survive. As I grew up in Brooklyn, I realized it wasn't bad acting/dialog, but instead their characters were spot on Brooklynites! For that matter, Dave Bautista nailed his character as a passive war vet turned janitor who lost his family.

All of a sudden, BOOM, I was engulfed in this film and was really enjoying it. You can't compare a low budget B-type film to the blockbusters, and as such, to review it on it's own merits, this film was outstanding! I really felt like I was right there where all the action and suspense were happening, and was rooting for the Brooklynites.

Sure one could argue about plot holes and an un-realistic story, but this is pure fiction (although it does make you think), and the screenplay was written so well with the pacing spot on, I felt like I was watching a live newscast in a war zone. What I also really liked (and respected) was the fact that there were zero clichés in this film, and it was pretty much unpredictable. Even the ending (not going to give it away) was a shocker and certainly not expected.

It's sad to see such a low IMDb score from people comparing this to blockbuster films, or inserting their political opinions and agendas into the story. This for me was simply a fun ride, a great suspenseful adventure thriller, executed very well from every perspective. It left an impact on me, wanting more, and I do hope a part 2 is considered.

I will watch this again, and it's a well deserved and much respected 9/10 from me... great job to all those involved in the production of this sweet little gem.

The Steadicam work alone is enough to want to watch this film. The way it is shot and the content is amazing. I had no expectations going into this and was blown away.

As for the story, if you think something like this is purely fiction, history says different.

"Bushwick" feels like a low-budget zombie apocalypse movie without the zombies. It's also missing a plot, character arcs, a theme, a moral and other typical cinematic and dramatic elements. The ending feels as if the filmmakers shot the film in sequence and ran out of money before they could complete it. The wrong characters die for the wrong reasons. Bautista is best known for his chiseled larger-than-life physique and his martial arts skills, but displays neither. As he has shown in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, he can handle comedic roles and does a reasonable job here with a role that calls for more emotion than action. While fans may appreciate his dramatic range and nobody would want him to be limited in his career, they may be disappointed that he doesn't do more fighting.

The script is a mess. Nothing makes any sense, from the plot to the military tactics to the motivation of the characters. A hodgepodge of liberal and alt-right political ideologies are presented and seemingly given equal time. I kept imagining Robert Downey Jr. in his Kirk Lazarus role from "Tropic Thunder" urgently whispering, "Never go full-on libtard."

The situation and actions seemed so improbable and unrealistic that I never developed much empathy for the characters.