Somewhere in Queens, 2023.
Directed by Ray Romano.
Starring Ray Romano, Laurie Metcalf, Jacob Ward, Sadie Stanley, Jennifer Esposito, Deirdre Friel, Jon Manfrellotti, Danny Garcia, Erik Griffin, June Gable, Sebastian Maniscalco, Tony Lo Bianco, Adam Kaplan, Katie Kreisler, Franco Maicas, Karen Lynn Gorney, P.J. Byrne, J.C. MacKenzie, Geoffrey Owens, Lauren Biazzo, Caryn Richman, James Ciccone, Elizabeth Yu, Joe Caniano, David St. Louis, Richard A. Romano, Sam Massaro, and Jennifer Simard.
SYNOPSIS:
Leo and Angela Russo live a simple life in Queens, surrounded by their overbearing Italian-American family. When their son ‘Sticks’ finds success on his high school basketball team, Leo tears the family apart trying to make it happen.
There is such a lived-in, hilariously accurate portrayal of the rather large Italian-American family at the center of co-writer and director Ray Romano’s filmmaking debut, Somewhere in Queens, that it’s actually somewhat frustrating once the freewheeling storytelling comes to an end, giving way to traditional plotting. It’s not that the key plot points are poorly done (although the resolutions are mostly predictable, with perhaps an ending too clean), but that Ray Romano and screenwriting collaborator Mark Stegemann are wired into the dynamics of these characters, their place in the family, their gripes, and their differences, that it is a bit of a bummer seeing those qualities slightly hampered to focus strictly on plot points and telling a story.
The Russo family could be perceived as your standard stereotypical, brazenly loud Italian-Americans, riffing off one another with sharp humor and small observations that play to Ray Romano’s strength as a former sitcom star. That also would be unfair to the filmmakers because there’s an authenticity here to the scenarios and dialogue ringing true across most scenes. Somewhere in Queens smartly introduces everyone at a family wedding, which is initially distracting as it seems like the couple getting married might play a bigger role in the narrative, but it’s really just an excuse to begin a running gag at how often these people find themselves at family gatherings and a smart way to rapid-fire introduce characters.
Among the family members introduced, the ones most prominently focused on our Ray Romano’s Leo Russo, his wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf), and their 18-year-old son Matthew (Jacob Ward), whom the extended family has nicknamed “Sticks” in traditional Italian-ribbing fashion due to his long legs that have allowed him to become a pretty decent basketball player on his high school team. Leo works for the family construction business, headed up by his father iron-fist ruling father (Tony Lo Bianco), efficiently getting jobs done in time so he can watch his son play basketball.
It’s the last game of the season for Sticks unless the team wins, meaning they would also make the playoffs. He also happens to be the polar opposite of what one would expect from this family; he is shy and timid to the point where Leo and Angela don’t really know what’s going on in his life and come to be surprised upon finding out he has a firecracker girlfriend named Dani (Sadie Stanley) that he opts to drive to work after the game instead of going out with his family for a late dinner.
Somewhere in Queens is at its best when focusing on Sticks and contrasting him against various bold and vocal personalities. One can practically feel his discomfort at these family gatherings, not having much in common with them, but expected to join the family business after high school anyway. His relationship with Dani is just as quiet and sweet, innocently losing his virginity but only when she makes the first move before bringing her to his family’s house for dinner. There’s a whirlwind of emotions and feelings juxtaposed against this rowdy family.
Meanwhile, Leo would rather see his son pursue the opportunity of receiving a college basketball scholarship and getting an education rather than fall into the same generational pattern. That’s noble, but some complications arise between Sticks that render him unable to focus on practicing for the upcoming scholarship tryouts. Also, unlike Sticks, she comes from a small home with no family caring for her; she can’t wait to leave.
Leo makes some incredibly ill-advised choices (and the film is aware of this), putting multiple characters in uncomfortable situations where viewers wait for things to explode. This is where Somewhere in Queens shifts from a character-focused experience to something plot-driven while also dedicating more time to subplots, including Angela’s cancer possibly returning and a lonely client (Jennifer Esposito) casually flirting with Leo while he works, which in turn reignites his apparently dead sex drive for his wife. In addition to too much going on, the perspective of the narrative shifts to Leo a bit too hard.
While there is the occasional moment in Somewhere in Queens that feels forced, overwritten, or inorganic, there is some good fortune in that the story has several satisfying payoffs, including the previously mentioned segment where dynamite goes off between this family. The script is not without flaws here and there, but every character feels achingly real, with a story so carefully constructed and major decisions slowly built up for maximum impact (you can practically reach out and touch Leo’s desperation in one scene).
As far as directorial debuts go, Ray Romano has crafted something emotionally cutting, poignantly funny, painfully awkward for the right reasons, and deeply personal; Hopefully, this is a new phase for his career because with Somewhere in Queens, it’s evident he has some compelling stories to tell with authentic and unique insight.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
