Take Out

The movie is shot so realistically I thought I was watching a documentary. The movie follows a day in the life of a Chinese food delivery boy, and all the difficulties that this line of work entails. The twist here is that this delivery boy is an illegal immigrant and has a significant debt to repay. I was surprised to see how difficult this line of work really is, and never really thought about the stories of the people who are doing this work. I wonder how many others delivery boys are in the same situation as the character in this film. There are times of heartfelt camaraderie between the workers of the Chinese restaurant, each willing to help the other out in times of greatest need. I certainly will be more generous with my tipping after having seen this film.

Takeout is a raw and unpolished look at life in the margins. Shot in a documentary-like style, the film immerses you in the world of a Chinese immigrant working as a delivery driver in New York City. The film's gritty realism makes you feel like you're right there with him, struggling to make ends meet.

The narrative is pretty sparse, with very little exposition or traditional storytelling. This could feel slow to some, but I found it to be refreshing in how it captures the monotony and pressure of daily life. It's bleak, but not in a depressing way-instead, it's just honest, showing how difficult life can be when you're living paycheck to paycheck, and the struggles seem endless.

The acting is understated but effective, fitting perfectly with the film's documentary approach. While Takeout might not be for everyone due to its quiet pace and minimal plot, if you appreciate character-driven stories and a more grounded, real-world style, this is definitely worth a watch.

Sean Baker has made some really stunning micro budget films in recent years. Both his much lauded "Tangerine" and less known but equally excellent "Starlet" were wonderful comedy- dramas, artfully telling takes of those normally overlooked by mainstream cinema.

"Take Out" is not quite as strong as those later works, but is still well worth seeing.

This verite style study of a Chinese food deliveryman's desperate rush to earn $800 to pay off the loan sharks that helped pay his way to the US has a nifty sense of almost documentary realism. The acting is very real and understated (by a mixed cast of actors and non-pros), and the tension level is high.

I didn't have quite as strong a positive reaction as most of the critics for a few reasons. First, while avoiding movie clichés for the most part, a couple of key 'twists' are broadcast a mile off, dampening their impact. Also, by making his lead character such a cipher (he not only doesn't speak English, but seems inward and withdrawn even among his fellow Chinese), that it's hard to build up a connection with him as a character. Yes, we can pity his plight, but I wanted to understand what was going on in his head. Also, the shaky-cam shooting style occasionally called more attention to itself then I think it was intended to.

It reminded me a bit in tone of Ramin Bahrani's terrific "Man Push Cart", but for me that early work had a little more poetry and richness.

None-the-less, an intelligent, well-meaning micro budget film (it looks like it was shot on regular definition video), and - given my fondness for Baker's more recent films - I'll certainly go back for another look.

I really liked Sean Baker's style of filming in this movie. It feels like a documentary with all the handheld cinematography. It's got a real raw gritty unfiltered feel to it. Ding Ming's living situation looks rough and unhealthy. I feel for people that have to live this way. His problem with paying off the debt seems to be an even worse situation. It's pretty harsh, but Sean is able to bring a warm humanity to the story which helps to lighten the feel and bring a glimmer of hope. It puts into perspective and sheds some light on the hard work and struggle immigrants have to go through just to make a living in a new country. This movie helps to empathize with that experience, especially if you've never been through it. Ming definitely put in that work, he grinded it out. Although what happens to him towards the end could be predicted from miles away, it still shows how there's hope in life when you're surrounded by good people.

It's amazing to think that this movie was made for just $3000, that's inspiring as hell. Really good directing from Sean Baker. I loved the candid New Yorker interactions. It's probably the best part about this movie. Some are really funny and lighten up the mood of the movie. Overall, it was a good movie with some stand out moments and a gritty raw style. The journey was entertaining and eye-opening. I'd watch this movie again just for the interactions and to be humbled by the experience and reminded that some people have it way worse. Raw score: 7.4/10.

From the extras, it seems that the makers were absolutely fascinated by the idea of recreating routine food deliveries in New York.

Plus some details of cooking.

They even cut our an opening showing more about the gangsters, available as a Deleted Scene for the disk.

I really could not share their enthusiasm. A lot too much of it. And we could have been shown all sorts of other things that were just as worthy.

That said, I liked it, despite liberal use of the fast-forward switch. The characters were very believable. One sympathized. And it mocked some common ideas - several explained how they faked a political motive when they just wanted to make more money than the could back home.