Cat.no : EDGE 07

Cert : 18

Running time : 84 mins

Year : 1994

Sound : Mono

Price : £12.99

Filmed in Black & White

Director :
Matthew Harrison

Rhythm Thief is set in New York's Lower East Side, a world where almost everyone is desperate or crazy, or both.

The film takes a fly-on-the-wall look at the life of Simon (Jason Andrews) and seems to progress in a similar style to Richard Linklater's "Slacker" although this film is set predominantly around only Simon and the people he associates with, rather than skipping from person to person as "Slacker" does.

On a Delancey Street curb Simon ekes out a living selling bootleg music tapes. He is continually pestered by Shayme, his strung-out rival in piracy, and hounded by would-be disciple, Fuller (Kevin Corrigan).

Simon's home is a rat-pit. He survives on a diet of cheap liquor, peanut butter and leftovers from the diner. He has no-strings sex with Cyd (Kimberley Flynn), an alluring yet volatile man-eater.

He is begin menaced by the hulking ground floor tenant who thinks he's stolen his TV, while at the same time being endlessly hassled by another tenant who wants to sell him one. His life has been threatened by a band he's bootlegged, and he owes money!

Fuller is killed, and Simon is hounded out of the city with girl from the past Marty (Eddie Daniels) in tow. Marty is a girl who defaces her body with writing and also scrawls reams and reams over the walls of her apartment.

Simon feels traumatised and confused by the death of his mother, a fact told to him by Marty. He asks her questions as they make love. Her answers mix fact with philosophy.

But for Simon there is no escape; he is drawn inexorably back to the neighbourhood for a final reckoning with fate.

"Rhythm Thief" is as bleak as it is stylish, as gritty as it is moving and as beautiful. This award-winning feature is both skilfully crafted and offbeat with striking performances from all the cast.

The director makes excellent use of steadi-cam camerawork so the film flows along as if you were there with him. It is as fascinating a piece of ultra-low budget movie making as you will ever see.

Review (C) Dominic Robinson, 1996.