Alberto and the Concrete Jungle

The diverse acting, the music, the dialogues, the cinematography, the "endless" actors and extras and NYC as the backdrop are just some of the astonishing wonders of this film. An Indie film that doesn't seem Indie, it takes you on a roller coaster of emotions and adventures. A great representation of real New York with all the pretty and the ugly.

Saw this online at the Bushwick film festival. By far did not expect anything like it.

I've been able to watch indie films at different film festivals over the years and they always seem to come in the same molds. The ones aiming for "prestige" focus on identity politics and stories that simply want you to empathize with some real lifestyle or socio group. I guess so they can pat themselves on the back for being so cultural. Now I'm not knocking that per say but where's the more nuanced messaging? Where's the actual real artistic perspective? Hopefully you get the chance to see this film because it has one.

Judging from some of the reviews here it sounds like a lot of people are stuck on the New York qualities and funny stuff and good acting. I thought all that was great too. Now obviously I can't speak for the filmmaker, but the real reason this film blew me away is how it reshapes conventions, parodies so many things, and makes fun of the art form itself. All in order to pinpoint our fallacies in glamorizing the modern traveler lifestyle that we see all over social media these days. And what's great is it doesn't tell you a clear socio-moral side, it just makes you aware of the inner conflict we may end up facing. Artistic statements like these are typically reserved for pure "intellectual" cinema - but here you get it in a full-on entertaining package. Please more of this and less Netflix genre fare.

Adventure vs Home. A tale of a nomad who finds himself trapped in NYC unable to travel to his next adventure. This story was exciting and unpredictable. Watching lead actors, Santoni as Alberto and Voshell as Marina, wrestle with the question of living their previous lifestyle of travel or finally feeling like the found a place to be proved to be an emotional, funny, intense, and exciting journey brought to life. Does NYC and Marina's charm make Alberto settle down or does the call for adventure and spontaneity lure him away? You have to watch to find out! Highly recommend!!!

New York is full of adventures and full of heart, and this film gives you both. It is not only an enjoyable watch; it is a love letter to New York beautifully written. Congratulations to director/writer Chris Shimojima for this terrific film and big congrats to the two brilliant leads, Alejandro Santoni and Julie Voshell.

Santoni, as Alberto, and Voshell, as Marina, share excellent chemistry; and both win the audience over with great performance. Santoni's work is funny and rich, which effortlessly keeps you with him over the 1.5-hour runtime; and Voshell, whose role is quite challenging to cast, did a great job not only in bringing charm to her role----you can see stories in her eyes and feel deeply connected in almost every moment. This film will for sure make you laugh; but besides all the moments, intense or ridiculous, good or bad, you will remember more after watching it: different cultures, colorful characters, interesting personalities, and the most touching element----human connections.

I thoroughly enjoyed this picture from start to finish! It's beautifully filmed, and the characters are fantastic. Their journey and story take you into an unforgettable world that will surely make you laugh and bring a smile to your face. Don't miss this one-of-a-kind adventure!