The Poor & Hungry

Craig Where Are you man.

I caught The poor and Hungry at the St Louis International film festival and was deeply impressed. It shows that whatever media you choose to tell your story, a good story with an excellent storyteller can place an audience anywhere and move them effectively. Which is what a movie should do. The fact he shot it on digital 8 and a boom mic with very little crew. Nice. Now two questions

What are you doing now?

Where can I buy the DVD?

I actually registered w/ imdb just to vote on this movie. It was based in Memphis, but I didn't know anyone in the movie, so this isn't biased or anything. I usually don't like "arty" movies (hey, I liked Mystery Men), but this was exceptional. Not what I would expect. The acting, plot, soundtrack, production, everything was great. I paid $7 to see this, and I'd pay $15 to see it again. It's about a reluctant car thief who gets emotionally attached to one of his victims. A gritty look at consequenses. Don't base your decision on what I've written, because I'm not a critic. Just go see it. If you don't like it, I'll send you a Tootsie Roll.

This is an excellent movie.

Phenomenal screenplay, lovingly photographed, incredibly well acted and directed. I think it's an astonishing movie.

For a first-time, low budget, movie, it's a miracle. Miraculous that it could be executed so well, and miraculous in that the director stayed true to his story and his characters, rather than trying to go over the top in attracting attention and showcasing his brilliance.

It really captures in an honest way the duality of life.

It is amazingly straightforward, told without overacting, building characters whom we wind up caring about.

The Poor and Hungry is an excellent film, especially if you live in or are familiar with Memphis. The ending is a little silly, but otherwise the movie is both funny and heartwrenching. It's also a incredibly insightful look at the unique culture of Memphis, touching on the city's poverty, race issues and seediness while at the same time showing the filmmaker's genuine love for a town like no other. For Memphians, it's a must-see; for everyone else, it's still worth the price of a ticket.

Call me crazy, but I really find "The Poor and the Hungry" to be the best Craig Brewer movie to-date. Yes, I know it was shot using little Sony camcorders and edited with pro-sumer type stuff, but it's so gritty, so realistic and so darn good, that I think it might just be one of the best "no budget" films of all time. I could watch this "Digi Flick" (a Brewer term) again and again. The power and elegance of simplicity, the earthy cinematography, the wonderfully controlled acting and fist-rate, unique, storytelling, place P&H high above other Brewer films. Having been to Memphis several times, I thought he did a great job of capturing this somewhat complex, divided and historically relevant city, while telling a heart-felt love story at the same time. Wanted to give this a "7.5" but didn't see an option to do so. If you get a chance to see this moving independent feature, make sure you do.