Review: 'Chop Shop' Authentic, Powerful, and Terrific on Criterion's Blu-ray Release

The second of Ramin Bahrani's films to be added to the Criterion Collection this month, "Chop Shop" was released in 2007 to wide acclaim. Once again, Bahrani turned his neorealist lens on a New York City lifestyle we may not be familiar with. Here, we're given a glimpse into the lives of those who work in Willets Point, an area in Queens filled with scrapyards, auto repair shops, and garbage dumps.

Unlike his debut feature, "Man Push Cart," the subjects of Bahrani's sophomore film are far younger. We follow Ale (Alejandro Polanco), a 12-year-old forced to grow up fast on the bustling, hustling streets of this neighborhood, competing daily to create a better life for himself and his sister (Isamar Gonzales).

Akin to "Man Push Cart," Bahrani is well-versed in immersing viewers in this film's world and its inhabitants. The authenticity is powerful in both films, but perhaps more so in "Chop Shop," which is arguably the more polished of the two films. Lyricism and passion soar in every frame of Bahrani's work, and by the end of either film, you feel as if you've experienced another life. That, in short, is the genius of cinema, and something impressively accomplished by a filmmaker who was then just beginning his journey.

If you plan on grabbing both films or either one on Criterion, you'll find that "Chop Shop" features a similar collection of bonus features in comparison to "Man Push Cart." That is, to say, a limited amount.

There are a bunch of conversations that are great to watch if you'd like to dig more into the film's production and influences, and these talks include Bahrani, director of photography Michael Simmonds, various actors and more. It's always great to hear artists talk about their work, and for films like "Chop Shop," these are the types of supplemental material one would expect.

"Chop Shop" is available on Criterion Collection Blu-ray for the suggested retail price of $31.96