''Restless City'' is a 2011

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

film written by Eugene M. Gussenhoven and directed by

Andrew Dosunmu Andrew Dosunmu is a Nigerian photographer and filmmaker who came to prominence in the United States after directing music videos for various artists including Isaac Hayes, Angie Stone, Common, Tracy Chapman, Wyclef Jean, Kelis, Aaron Neville, Ta ...

. It stars Sy Alassane, Sky Nicole Grey,

Tony Okungbowa Anthony Victor Okungbowa (born c. 1967/1968) is an English-American actor, film producer, and DJ. He was the resident DJ for ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2013 when he was replaced by Stephen "tWitch" Bos ...

Stephen Tyrone Williams Stephen Tyrone Williams (born 1982) is an American actor best known for such films and television series as ''The Knick'', ''Da Sweet Blood of Jesus'', ''Elementary'' and ''Phil Spector''. Williams is also a stage actor known for such plays as Ath ...

, and

Danai Gurira Danai Jekesai Gurira (; born February 14, 1978) is a Zimbabwean-American actress, playwright, and activist. She is known for her starring roles as Michonne in the AMC horror drama franchise '' The Walking Dead'' and Okoye in Marvel Cinematic U ...

. The film premiered on January 23, 2011, at the

2011 Sundance Film Festival The 27th annual Sundance Film Festival took place from January 20, 2011 until January 30, 2011 in Park City, Utah, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ogden, Utah, and Sundance, Utah. The festival opened with five screenings, one from each ...

and received a limited release in the United States on April 27, 2012.

Plot

Djibril, a young

Senegalese Demographic features of the population of Senegal include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. About 42% of Senegal's population i ...

immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

, has been trying to make a life for himself in the streets of

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. An aspiring musician, he hopes to one day score a

record deal A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording act (artist or group), where the act makes an audio recording (or series of recordings) for the label to sell and ...

, but after four years in the United States he still scrapes together a living by selling CDs on the street and taking on gigs as a

courier A courier is a person or organization that delivers a message, package or letter from one place or person to another place or person. Typically, a courier provides their courier service on a commercial contract basis; however, some couriers are ...

with the help of his

moped A moped ( ) is a type of small motorcycle, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than full motorcycles or automobiles. Historically, the term exclusively meant a similar vehicle with both bicycle pedals and a motorcycle eng ...

. To raise enough money to make an album, Djibril agrees to work for Bekay, a

pimp Procuring, pimping, or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term "pimp" ...

and loan shark. Djilbri's mission to fulfill his dream is interrupted when he meets Trini, a prostitute who works for Bekay. Djibril risks everything to save Trini from her squalid life.

Cast

Reception

In a positive review,

Wesley Morris Wesley Morris (born December 19, 1975) is an American film critic and podcast host. He is currently critic-at-large for ''The New York Times'', as well as co-host, with J Wortham, of the ''New York Times'' podcast '' Still Processing.'' Previou ...

of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' wrote, "'Restless City' is tumescent with atmosphere", and "there’s a dreamy immediacy to life in osunmu’sHarlem as opposed to the drugginess of life" of other films. Ernest Hardy of ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'' said, "Told in an elliptical style with a pacing and jagged rhythms that take some getting used to, the thrust and power of the film lies in its poetic imagery, in the way Dosunmu and cinematographer Bradford Young use light and composition to make almost every frame (breathtaking profiles; close-ups on faces and feet; slo-mo moped rides down city streets) stunning. The cumulative effect of their visual handiwork brings an unexpected impact when tragedy finally strikes."

References

External links

* * * 2011 films 2011 drama films 2011 independent films 2011 multilingual films 2010s American films 2010s English-language films 2010s French-language films American drama films Films about immigration to the United States Films about prostitution in the United States Films directed by Andrew Dosunmu Films set in Harlem Films shot in New York City English-language independent films {{2010s-US-drama-film-stub