ramin bahrani set up a scene early on in chop shop that immediately have me identify with where the character of ale ( alejandro polanco ) and his friend be come from . the two of them get on a subway and and as soon a the door close they ask if they could have everyone attention for a moment and and that they be sell candy bar or m and m or something and and then they proceed to sell some bar . if you ( a i ) have ever be on a subway in new york city and at any time and this be the kind of situation that happen so often you almost do not notice it . often the people on a subway will see kid like these or minority sell something or announcing and talk about something on a subway and not pay them any mind . bahrani focus isn not necessarily just on kid who hock thing for sale on subway ride and but on survival and the state of be one be in when in the low class in america . it be and subsequently in his hand and thoughtful and heartbreaking and usually at once . to compare it to pixote or the bicycle thief isn not too far of a leap ( actually in the latter at least the father and son have each other ) and though bahrani be specific in his intention in his documentary style . we care about this character ali and no old than eleven and work in a car shop clean some car and help take apart others and and his sister who come from out of town to stay with him . but it not simply because be force feed any clichés and aside from and you know and a brother and sister ( more so the brother ) try to take care of one another . bahrani make the story accessible through the simple aspiration ali have and the kind of goal that be possible attainable in his situation represent save up enough to buy a used food truck that ali and isamar can operate themselves . it all ali be work for and but what bahrani show u in brutal detail be this work and what ali have to do to make it happen even if it distasteful thing like rip hubcap off of tire from car in shea stadium or and at one point and steal a purse in a desperate moment . this make it all the more serious an issue when ale see what his sister do for money on the side at night and do sexual favor for men in an abandoned truck on the side of the road . he doesn not mention it and push it aside and but it always something that add to the tension and something ale want to protect his sister from . it add to the tragedy when ale find out the real cost of what it will take to make the food truck into a profit maker and a cost that just far add to the anguish that he just internalize . one could look immediately at the fact that ale be an orphan in such a neighborhood a the one in the area of queen the film be shoot in naturally and a with a work of neo neo realism ( let just call it realism ) and feature practically all non professional actor in the part of the mechanic and worker and people on the street but bahrani be focus more so on the here and the now and and that be what make chop shop so immediate and heartfelt . not a trace of melodrama be in the film and barely even music accompaniment aside from the live latino music come from the car and radio . sometimes bahrani will focus on a very subtle moment that make it pronounce in further scene and like the way ale be awake but act like he asleep the first night after he witness isamar late night tryst and and we see a she slink into bed she probably know he awake but neither can say a word . or and in a lot of other scene and poetic touch that seem seamless and like when the man show ale how feed the pigeon work . it rough and gritty and a you can expect and and it doesn not give much hope for it main character despite the few moment of happiness sprinkle about . it also a superbly shot hand hold film and where the technique and a with a lot of movie make in it urban set tone and approach and informs and compliment the subject on screen and what theyre do and but it also be never recklessly shot or too flashy . the filmmaker have a superb real life cast ( ale be pluck from a nyc public school without any experience ) and know how to not waste a shot and while at the same time achieve a brutal artistry with just show what he show . it not city of god or pixote while it it own little masterpiece on a character or character we usually would just not give a second look to ( or a first one barely ) on our way in a city such a new york . if youre not move by ale and his daily struggle and i do not know what to do for you .