Alberto and the Concrete Jungle

I enjoyed this movie from start to finish! Chris Shimojima does a wonderful job with snapshot views of NYC and lines of travel that give us a glimpse into Alberto Buenaventura's free spirit and wanderlust. Anyone who has spent any amount of time living in NYC will delight in the visual tour of NY's neighborhoods, with local characters and communities that are distinct and vibrant. Alejandro Santoni, who could be a twin of Lin Manuel Miranda, depicted Buenaventura with gusto and charm, drawing you in to his nomadic drive and insatiable curiosity to meet people in places all over the world. His encounter with the equal in strength Marina Giovanni Caron, wittingly played by Julie Voshell, brings a twist to the tale, with unpredictable turns of events layered with slightly more predictable (but engaging) mutual attraction. It takes time throughout the film to figure out their mutual goals and drives, in the hunt for "Z", but it comes together and is highly entertaining. Along the way, they connect with characters from all over, with standout performances by David Pendleton (Darles Chickens) and Rami Margron (Oprah). Voshell shines in her role as Marina, with strength in both her delivery and facial expressions that match Santoni and regularly one up him, which is amusing and delightful to watch. Shout out to whoever decided to have Alberto's cell phone alarm ring daily with a reminder to "call Mom". It made me laugh every time and was one of the many humanizing moments in this grand adventure.

This film is a wonderful journey that shows the adventurous spirit of one man, the celebration of community, and the tour de force that is NY in all its glorious fullness.

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!

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.

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.

The main character struggles between settling down versus continuing his adventurous lifestyle. Great film that keeps you intrigued till the end.