A happy movie this isn't, but it is achingly poetic and tragic in an almost mythological sense: in fact, writer-director Ramin Bahrani likens the plight of his hero Ahmad to that of Sisyphus, the Greek figure doomed to roll a boulder up a steep hill again and again for all eternity. Ahmad (Ahmad Razvi) is a former Pakistani pop star turned New York City immigrant who sells breakfast—pastries and coffee and such—to Manhattan office workers out of a pushcart he hauls to a high-traffic street corner every morning. In the indie slice-of-life Man Push Cart, we follow Ahmad, a character whose dreams swell or burst as opportunities come and go, and whose life expands or contracts as new friends delight or disappoint him. Since much of the film transpires during the wee hours before the sun rises, the city too becomes a palpable presence full of strange lights—a place both mysterious and intimate, nicely captured by cinematographer Michael Simmonds. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary (by director Ramin Bahrani, cinematographer Michael Simmonds, assistant director Nicholas Elliott, and star Ahmad Razvi), two short films by Bahrani—“Bad Reception” starring Lisa Bonet (2 min.) and “Dogs” (6 min.)—and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine film.] (M. Johanson)
[Blu-ray/DVD Review—February 17, 2021—Criterion, 87 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 2005’s “Man Push Cart” is presented with an excellent transfer. Extras include audio commentary from 2005 featuring director Ramin Bahrani, director of photography Michael Simmonds, assistant director Nicholas Elliott, and actor Ahmad Razvi; a new conversation with Bahrani, Elliott, and Razvi on the making of the film; a new conversation between Bahrani and scholar Hamid Dabashi on the origins of the film and Bahrani’s cinematic influences; Bahrani’s 1998 short film “Backgammon,” and a booklet with an essay by film critic Bilge Ebiri. Bottom line: Together with Bahrani’s 2007 film “Chop Shop”—also newly available from Criterion—“Man Push Cart” serves up an affecting portrait of people struggling on the margins in New York City.]