Topside

This award winning film merits watching by those who cast a judgmental eye at the homeless population. Celine Held and Logan George shared a horrible thing happening in society today while at the same time, educating us that sacrificial love is possible in all of us.

This polarizing movie is not for the faint of heart. It is unnerving and disturbing and subsequently stays with you for a long time. It has won awards and amazing reviews from many critics- you cannot argue with that.... I cried - I cried a river of tears for Nikki and LIttle. When your emotions are touched so deeply by a movie - it has driven its message home. After digging a little- you find out the truth about the movie- Little was indeed homeless...her family walked into the casting call for Topside thinking it was a soup kitchen. It doesn't get more real that that. Obviously it is not for everyone- it is intelligent and affecting....shows NYC in a light we are not used to seeing it- a glaring SPOTLIGHT. The end breaks your heart completely in two. Well done to the film makers- looking forward to your next release.

Celine Held's "Topside" is a grim portrait of people on society's margins, and what they have to do to survive. You can bet money that tens of millions of people worldwide live like this. The fact remains that if you're reading this review, you're among the privileged members of society.

This is the most tense drama I've ever seen... literally tensing up. I was hesitant to watch as I thought it might be too slow, even for me. But I was drawn in pretty quickly! Very well thought out film, one I won't forget.

'Topside' features Nikki (Celine Held), a drug addled mother of a 5-year0old girl, Little (Zhaila Farmer), and how they survive underground in an abandoned New York subway tunnel. Together, a small community of homeless denizens watch over each other and help protect Little, until one day, when the city clears out the encampment for remodeling and everyone scatters. It then falls to Nikki and Little to find a way to survive topside.

This film shows how homeless people can be displaced, taken advantage of, and how everyone around them tries to 'help' by way of calling social services. Nikki's main concern throughout the movie is not being seperated from Little, and at no point do any of the various do-gooders offer that. The passion from Celine Held for her incredibly talented co-star, Zhalia Farmer, is very realistic and captivating. Truly a gritty tale with heart

Worth a watch!