Restless City

R

Released Apr 27, 2012

1 hr. 20 min.

Drama

List

45%

11 Reviews

Tomatometer

28%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

Young Djibril (Sy Alassane) emigrated from West Africa to the United States with a hope of making it as a musician, but after residing in Harlem for four years, he's stuck hawking CDs to pedestrians. In an effort to raise enough money to make an album, Djibril decides to work with Bekay (Anthony Okungbowa), a loan shark and pimp. But Djibril's quest for financial success is interrupted when he meets and falls in love with Trini (Sky Nicole Grey), a prostitute working for Bekay.

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In "Restless City," Djibril(Sy Assane) is a recent immigrant to New York City from Dakar, Senegal. Currently, he makes his living as a sidewalk vendor. Sometime in the future, he hopes to make a living through his own music. Enter Trini(Sky Grey). "Restless City" could be thought of as a sincere examination of an immigrant's struggles in America. Making matters harder is his running afoul of the wrong people. At least, that's what I thought it might be about, as "Restless City" is so drowning in style and jump cuts, it is hard to make sense of some of it. It's all the more aggravating and confounding, considering this kind of difficult approach is not the right way to go with the limited means on display.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The director knows how to make a scene gorgeous, an actor smolder, a setting vibrate. That's what I focused on during this film whose plot has several holes in it. But it's a fun and beautiful watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The only path I know is music. An immigrant from Africa struggles on the streets of New York as a delivery driver. He is an aspiring musician that is also on the lookout for love. He starts seeing a prostitute in a very dramatic but unique relationship. How will this strange pairing survive? "This can be a very hard city." Andrew Dosunmu, director of Hot Irons, Mother of George, and the Yizo Yizo TV series, delivers Restless City. The storyline for this picture is interesting and has a nice blend of grit and realism. The characters are interesting and compelling and the script is well written. The cast delivers better than average performances and includes Mohamed Dione, Danai Gurira, Osas Ighodaro, Zoey Martinson, and Femi Olagoke. "You think you're too beautiful for me?" The Restless City is a movie that grabbed my attention based on its interesting plot. The movie itself was just above average and I felt the characters could have been better developed. Overall, I do recommend seeing this movie once but I wouldn't kill myself to see it. "I'll see you at the top." Grade: C+

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great high quality filming & cinematography, but loses stream without context to the action. I couldn't finish it..

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It makes sense that the director used to work in the fashion industry - the film is beautiful to watch and full of amazing outfits. The plot, however, is not as impressive nor is the acting ability of the lead roles. The attractive protaganist couldn't aim his acting ability at the broad side of a barn.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

First Viewing: visually, I was stimulated a lot of interesting shot choices especially the reflections and time code sequencing. However, the story was very generic and the acting with the exception of a few was pretty bad. I would watch it again to see if I can catch a few more things story wise but I doubt it would that much to make me change my idea of the film totally.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

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Andrew Dosunmu

Director

Sy Alassane

Djibril

Sky Grey

Trini

Danai Gurira

Sisi

Babs Olusanmokun

Cravate

Hervé Diese

Lido

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Wesley Morris

Boston Globe

"Restless City" is tumescent with atmosphere.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 16, 2012

Full Review

Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

"Restless City" possesses a poetic, contemplative sensibility as attuned to the vagrant beauty of polyglot urban life as to its chaotic unpredictability.

Rated: 3/4

May 4, 2012

Full Review

Chuck Bowen

Slant Magazine

The script simply isn't in the same league as the images that Andrew Dosunmu and the gifted cinematographer Bradford Young have fashioned.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 1, 2012

Full Review

Miles Bowe

Boston Phoenix

Restless City looks gorgeous, but has nothing to say.

Aug 16, 2012

Full Review

Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

Inviting and intriguing in its beauty, grit, and danger, familiar yet foreign.

Rated: 3/4

May 6, 2012

Full Review

Gary Thompson

Philadelphia Daily News

Violent episodes explode and recede, but without context and emotional connection, they're sometimes just pictures.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 3, 2012

Full Review

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Synopsis

Young Djibril (Sy Alassane) emigrated from West Africa to the United States with a hope of making it as a musician, but after residing in Harlem for four years, he's stuck hawking CDs to pedestrians. In an effort to raise enough money to make an album, Djibril decides to work with Bekay (Anthony Okungbowa), a loan shark and pimp. But Djibril's quest for financial success is interrupted when he meets and falls in love with Trini (Sky Nicole Grey), a prostitute working for Bekay.

Director: Andrew Dosunmu
Screenwriter: Eugene Gussenhoven
Distributor: AFFRM
Rating: R (Brief Sexuality|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 27, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 8, 2013

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