Tramps

Danny (Callum Turner) gets a call from jail. His brother Darren wants him to deliver a suitcase but he won't reveal its content. He's paired up with driver Ellie (Grace Van Patten). She's also a tramp struggling through life. The exchange goes wrong and they have to go track down the suitcase.

It would be nice to know what the exact caper is supposed to be. That would make Danny's bumbling more compelling and funny. It could have been an energetic start but it would require more work from this indie. It takes awhile to get going and the two leads to have some fun dialogue. They are perfectly charming in the indie way. Callum has a good bumbling energy and Grace has a cool beauty about her. The dialogue has some funny moments but it needs more sharpening. The movie is infused with good New York energy. It's a meandering crime caper low budget indie and a functional rom-com. The more compelling relationship is actually between the two brothers.

It's a simple movie that covers a short time span.

Grace Van Patten is the reason to watch.

Beautiful, petty-larcenous losers find love on the run. Grace Van Patten as Ellie percolates the atmosphere with her effortless cool (she's cooler than a mint julep) and superb acting. She's a natural thriller that reveals a new layer with every frame she's in. I'm reminded of a young Shailene Woodley, only far prettier and more graceful. Callum Turner provides a perfect foil for Grace/Ellie as Danny. An awkward, stumblebum of sorts, who orbits Ellie, fully enthralled by her, as he should be. Despite their obvious differences, the two do share a strangely sublime chemistry on the screen together. It's always good to see the average dude get the hot chick. Their misadventures are fun to follow. There is even a Casablanca-esque moment (I won't say too much as to not spoil it) that would make old Bogie's heart skip. A progressive romcom that isn't afraid to laugh at itself. The negatives...the dialogue is under-imagined at times and only the two lead characters are memorable.

I saw the MA rating so I figured this is the movie to watch. Grace Van Patten is very attractive. I would've turned it off if it wasn't for her.

Gave it a generous 6 stars.

I did not see anything that would warrant an MA rating...maybe more like PG-13 ...

There are probably worse ways to spend an hour and a half. One genuinely hilarious moment - but otherwise the strength of this movie is the "feeling" of New York City. A kind of tonic for those who've been to Manhattan and enjoyed the experience. It's the real city - not the imagined city of some films - the clanging, banging, grubby, smelly hive of people following all their personal mandates, getting around by public transportation. The kids are just couriers in a strange plot involving briefcases (a reference to "Pulp Fiction" perhaps) that we don't really understand until near the end - but why they're thrown together is immaterial, really. The point is the hesitating start of a romantic relationship. You can judge for yourself if there's "chemistry" between these two. I didn't see that there was much going on. There's nothing new about their reluctance to get involved with each other - the writing is not nearly up to the standard of the "screwball" comedies of the past - and the ending is just Hollywood boilerplate - but it's harmless entertainment and you could do a lot worse.