Città d'asfalto

I can't tell if that's a step up for Mike or a step down for Sean Penn. Unfortunately for Penn, I need to say the latter. This movie came and went without any promotion for it, despite what a great film it is. Tye Sheridan got to flex his acting muscle sparing with Sean Penn and of course Mike Tyson, who was fit for the role so it made sense. The film kept reminding me of the Martina Scorsese film Brining up the Dead, which starred Nicolas Cage in a role similar to Sean Penn, in fact, the concept of both movies almost makes Asphalt City a sequel. It does not help that there are not enough movies about the subject to think otherwise.

Anyway, this movie is too good to be hidden away like it seems to be.

Some excellent acting all round (even Mike Tyson was believable), and not enough props given to the actor that played Lafontaine, Michael Pitt.

While I don't need a film neatly served up to me, there was just a little too much flip-flopping around, including things that are brought up and never explained- eg. Swapping Cross and Rutkovsky around with who took the baby, so you are uncertain for a while, who did what.

The misery is relentless- the hostility from the patients with mental illness or other issues I sort of get (the amount of gang members they pick up, and have to deal with abuse from their friends is unreal), but constant harassment/bullying from their own team not to mention some of the police. Is it really this dysfunctional?

Still, enjoyed the film nonetheless, always good to see something original about a role we don't see on the silver screen that often.

Nice to see Gbenga Akinnagbe (Chris Partlow from The Wire), albeit in a small role.

Sean Penn is great in this dark New York City drama. The film is centered around two paramedics one seasoned and one new to the game that then become partners. They work the overnight shift in New York City as paramedics, so they see some crazy intense stuff along the way. Either I am missing it or I am not properly following it, but the film does not seem to have much of a plot other than to shoe how gritty the city is to these paramedics and it shows two men young and older on how they deal with it. I don't think the plot was there until about the last 30 minutes which is a huge flaw of this film.

Ollie Cross (Tye Sheridan) is a rookie paramedic in the chaotic New York City. Gene Rutkovsky (Sean Penn) is his world-weary veteran partner. Lafontaine (Michael Pitt) is another paramedic and Chief Burroughs (Mike Tyson) is their commander.

Tye Sheridan is a great young actor. Sean Penn is solid. I can't see Mike Tyson as anything other than Mike Tyson. I want a real actor in that role. Why not have Mike Tyson play Mike Tyson in one of the emergencies instead. He could be punching out a guy.

This is a lot of crazy emergencies all jammed into a two hour movie. I would have preferred a single-night story. Single-night stories can have the intensity of time. This is going for hyper dynamic story telling. I get it. I'm not generally against it but it does seem over the top. One can excuse it since the story is told over a long time. All this craziness wears me out in a two hour movie. Otherwise, it's fine.

I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of this movie. From the opening scene, it grips you and doesn't let go until the credits roll. The performances are top-notch, each actor bringing a raw authenticity to their role. The close-up shots add to the intensity and suspense, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats throughout. What's truly impressive is how the cinematography effortlessly places us right in the heart of the action, without any unnecessary gimmicks. It's a testament to the pure talent behind the camera. This film offers a gripping glimpse into the world of EMTs, showcasing both the challenges they face and the passion they bring to their work. I'm hoping for more intense and compelling movies like this where talent and passion takes over.