Gimme the Loot (2012)

When their latest work is buffed by a rival crew, two determined graffiti writers embark on an elaborate plan to bomb the ultimate location: the New York Mets' Home Run Apple.

Director:

Adam Leon

Writer:

Adam Leon

Stars:

Ty Hickson, Tashiana Washington, Joshua Rivera

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tashiana Washington	...	Sofia
Ty Hickson	...	Malcolm
Meeko	...	Champion
Zoë Lescaze	...	Ginnie
Sam Soghor	...	Lenny
Adam Metzger	...	Donnie
Greyson Cruz	...	Alfonso
James Harris Jr.	...	Ronaldo
Joshua Rivera	...	Rico
Melvin Mogoli	...	Kaps
Hot Mess	...	Leah Hennessey
Howard Donowitz	...	Hardware Store Owner
Konstantinos Kliakas	...	Gus
Angelo Rodriguez	...	Sal
Nicole M. Ayala	...	Spanish Girl

Storyline

When a rival gang buffs Malcolm and Sofia's latest graffiti masterpiece with a replica of the NY Mets home-run apple, they're determined to get spectacular revenge - by tagging the real Mets' apple. Over the course of a whirlwind two-day heat wave, these tough teens from the Bronx must hustle, scramble, and steal to execute the scheme that will make them the most famous writers in New York.

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Plot Keywords:

Graffiti | Gang | Drug Dealer | Drugs | Jogging | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Twitter

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 January 2013 (France)

Filming Locations:

Cornell's True Value Hardware, Eastchester, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$21,065 (USA) (22 March 2013)

Gross:

$45,438 (USA) (29 March 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Seven For Ten

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References Goodfellas (1990)
mentioned by Malcolm

User Reviews

A Very Foreign Film... Set in New York!

When most people think of foreign film, they think of films in a language they don't understand, locations they've never been to, actors they've never heard of, and stories unique to a specific culture. We often fail to acknowledge that there are places and cultures within our own borders that can be just as foreign to us as any Asian or European community.

"Gimme the Loot," which is playing at the San Francisco International Film Festival, is just such a film. Set in New York City's Borough of the Bronx (talk about a foreign land!) the film tells the story of Malcolm and Sofia, a "tagging team" that set their sights on the greatest "bombing" target in the history of New York graffiti. All they need is $500 to get access to the sight. And so the adventure begins…

And that is just what this film really is – an urban adventure story. The story of two young people who set out on a trek and what happens to them along the way. If you're put off by the setting, or the language (which seems to have been scripted by David Mamet in the opening scene,) or the "Maguffin" of the graffiti bomb, please don't be. All those things are ancillary in this tale of the challenges in navigating the foreign land of inner city New York and what happens along the way. It's a funny, harsh, sweet, heartbreaking and oddly (though not unexpectedly) optimistic movie. For all the wrongdoing the couple perpetrate in their attempt to achieve their goal, you end up really liking the characters and kind of wishing they succeed.

The two lead actors, Ty Hickson and Tashiana Washington, are terrific in their roles. While their inexperience shows through at times, for the most part they ARE Malcolm and Sophia. The director, Adam Leon, assured the Festival audience that they are both nothing like their characters ("Ty actually wears bow ties all the time.")

Leon also had the advantage of having a former NYC tour guide work as his location scout, so the film transports you into parts of New York that you'd never get to see get to see on your standard city excursion. Shot on location over 21 days, every setting seems just right for this story.

Special note should also be given to the soundtrack, which is absolutely what you would NOT expect for a story with characters of their age and environment. One would expect a plethora of hip hop or rap pulsing throughout the film, but be prepared for something just a little different.

This is writer/director Leon's first feature and he's manages to deliver a film that, while small in budget, is big in heart. Well worth seeking out…

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