Harlem Aria

What a pleasant surprise this movie was! I saw it at the Toronto Film Festival and I left the theatre feeling terrific. Very much a departure from normal indie films, this film is NOT a drug/gang bang movie that has become the norm for urban settings. Instead, the director shows that there are a lot more stories beneath the surface of a place like Harlem. This Forest Gump-esque tale is really fun and Damon Wayans delivers a terrific performance.

Really surprised that this film was not bought quickly and given appropriate promo push for wide release. The Audience at the Toronto International Film Fest screening I attended in Sept. 99 stood and clapped for many minutes at the conclusion of the screening and most stayed for the Q&A. Excellent film with surprisingly nuanced perf by Wayons as a seedy character. Please see this if at all possible!!

Aria. A self-contained piece for solo voice, usually accompanied by orchestra. In opera, arias mostly appear during a pause in dramatic action when a character is reflecting on their emotions. Most arias are lyrical, with a tune that can be hummed, and many arias include musical repetition.

Anton (Gabriel Casseus) was the Harlem Aria--a young Black man with slightly diminished mental capacity who could sing opera like the Dickens. Of course, there's not a high value on opera singers in Harlem. His quest began when he ran away from home. It didn't take long before he was conned out of his money by a street hustler named Wes (Damon Wayans). Wes would end up being a constant in Anton's life, as was Matthew (Christian Camargo), a piano player that gave Anton the proper forum to show of his talents.

"Harlem Aria" 'is about pursuing your dream despite the odds. Yes, there will be obstacles along the way, but with the right people around you, you can reach any heights. Anton was an innocent character which made him easy to love. Wes, on the other hand, though hilarious, was easy to hate for taking advantage of Anton. "Harlem Aria" was funny, sometimes aimless, yet ultimately enjoyable.

I saw this at the 2002 National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta. It's a beauty -- the quirky story line should appeal to all sorts of moviegoers, young and old, black and white, whatever. Writer-Director William Jennings' story will resonate with anyone who wants to believe we can overcome obstacles and achieve our dreams, even uncommon ones. That makes it sound saccharine, but bear in mind that Damon Wayans is in it! He helps make it a great blend of comedy, drama, and street "reality." Basically, the plot involves a young man in Harlem (Gabriel Casseus) who dreams of becoming an opera singer. He's developmentally disabled, a bit of a Forrest Gump, so misadventures ensue when he runs away from his domineering aunt. The characters are believable enough, the plot too, but nothing in the story line is easily predictable. That's part of this movie's enormous charm. It's hard to know what to compare this with -- Soul Food? Amelie? It's even harder to believe that the film hasn't yet found an American distribution deal. "Harlem Aria" is the best movie I've seen in a long time.

1999 was a good year for ‘small films' at the Toronto International Film Festival. Goat On Fire and Smiling Fish, Wonderland, Killing By Inches and the poorly marketed, "Joe The King" were all deserving of praise and larger audiences. Harlem Aria was one more card in this straight flush of distinctive films.

Gabriel Casseus is fantastic as Anton, the simple-minded savant who unknowingly has a gift...for singing Opera! To Anton it's just something he loves to do.

When most teenage boys are up in their room masturbating, Anto is up in his room singing. Singing. Singing.

The focus being mainly on the character of Anton made Harlem

Aria the sweet and funny film that it was.

It would be interesting to find out what inspired William Jennings to write and direct this story and to find out how he approached Paul Sorvino to portray the fictional opera great Fabiano Grazzi who crosses paths with Anton.

Rating 8 TWIZZLERS out of 10 TWIZZLERS