The acting in the film is wildly variable. Marmo, and old warhorses like Torres and Costanzo do quite well in their parts. The scenes of Sebi handling his mother's death, and holding her, then nothing, in that bed, from an overhead shot, is quite emotionally revealing, and shows Marmo and Cistone at their best, and one just wishes that all of the emotions and direction of the film had been as stellar. There are some good supporting performances, starting with the few brief scenes of Cavalieri's Joey, whose warmth, charisma, and good looks make him a presence on screen. How this actor has not made it in a bigger way is beyond me. The same could be said for Fioravanti's Donna, who goes from a smartass bitch to a grieving friend and woman of some insight. And it's not because the role is written that way, but the looks and glances that Fioravanti imbues her character with. The third unexpectedly good performance comes from Pupello's emotionally desperate Grace, who appears in only two brief scenes, but nails an archetype while also putting real pity into her character. The rest of the cast is quite mediocre, to be generous- with the worst offenders being Madio's stale Jimmy Boy, and Jackson as Maddy's father, giving absolutely no life to his curmudgeon. The film score, by Michael Sherwood and Carl Saunders, is top notch, and not too schmaltzy nor too obvious in giving away emotional cues, and well scored by Marmo's wife, Wendy. The cinematography, by Florian Stadler and Daniel Stilling is good throughout, with a few moments of high quality, starting right from the fire at Papo's, which plays under the credits, and economically propels the characters' diaspora westward. The film also suffers from, especially in its first half, too much narration. Sebi is not Woody Allenesque in his powers of observation, and more annoying Daniel Stern from The Wonder Years, and cutting this by 30-40% would have helped, but the overall screenplay, by Marmo, ranges from solid to good.
West Of Brooklyn is not a film that will change one's life. It lacks the artistry to be great, and too much of it follows the banal paths of yore. But, at its best, the film subverts many expectations, and showcases Marmo as a genuinely multitalented artist: actor, producer, screenwriter
.but NOT poet! It is the sort of work that I, on a personal level, like stumbling upon, as I have with a number of self published books I've reviewed. It is also a film that aptly shows the seeds for later potential, and on that basis, as well the others mentioned, it's worth viewing.
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