Somewhere in Queens is a promising debut for the Emmy winner and suggests that Romano has quite the future behind the camera.
Over the past 25 years, Ray Romano has been consistently working. Along with his Emmy-winning sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond, Romano has expanded his horizons to the big screen with his roles in the Ice Age films and dramatic turns in The Big Sick and The Irishman.
Romano has tackled writing throughout his career, including creating the well-reviewed but short-lived series Men of a Certain Age. However, despite his consistent work through the years, Romano had yet to step behind the camera and direct a feature film until this year’s Tribeca Festival. In his directorial debut, Somewhere in Queens, Romano brings an authentic look at the importance of familial bonds and experiences while emphasizing life’s first loves and regrets.
Somewhere in Queens follows Leo and Angela Russo, high school sweethearts who ultimately marry and have a son named Matthew, AKA Sticks. While Sticks is an introvert with his overbearing and often loud Italian-American family, he’s the best player on his school’s basketball team.
Like Matthew, Leo lives behind the scenes and in the shadow of his father and brother, who run a family-owned construction business. Leo lives vicariously through Stick’s basketball success. As he receives interest from a college to play ball, Leo must maneuver through his everyday struggles with his family while ensuring Sticks is in the right frame of mind – he’s currently dealing with his first love.
Ray Romano & Mark Stegemann’s screenplay works well in establishing a world that’s lived in. Never does it feel that any of these characters act in pretentious form, and in turn, offers a perfect blend of drama and comedy. While Romano and Stegmann’s script reaches a dark and heavy place, it never wholly shifts away from putting forth belly-laughing moments throughout the film. Additionally, the duo never loses focus on the importance of executing a realistic feel of the family dynamic.
Aiding the screenplay is the firecracker of a cast, who all feel like family friends we’re catching up with for 100 minutes. Each supporting player brings their moment of shine within Somewhere in Queens. Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, P.J. Byrne, Jennifer Esposito, and Jon Manfrellotti offer the biggest laughs, while Sadie Stanley and Laurie Metcalf are powerhouses.
Metcalf offers her usual comedic charm, but her dramatic moments stand out, while Sadie Stanley is full of life and adds energy to the already electric cast. However, Romano and Jacob Ward are hard to ignore with their bond.
While Ward’s performance is quiet and subtle, his warmth is evident. At the same time, Romano is never too showy but challenges himself with a performance that authentically examines a man who loves his family but is at risk of losing what he cares for the sake of self-indulgence.
Somewhere in Queens is a promising debut for the Emmy winner and suggests that Romano has quite the future behind the camera. Somewhere in Queens has stood above the rest at this year’s Tribeca Festival.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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About Somewhere In Queens
As the prospect of athletic scholarships becomes more likely for his basketball star son “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), Leo Russo (Ray Romano) secretly meddles in teen social dynamics to make sure his child stays happy and continues playing well. But keeping secrets from his observant wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf) and extended Italian-American family proves more difficult than expected.
David Gonzalez is the founder and chief film critic of Reel Talk Inc. and host of the Reel Chronicles podcast. As a Cuban American independent film critic, David has written fair and diverse criticism covering movies of all genres and spotlighting minority voices through Reel Talk for the past eight years.
David has covered and reviewed films for Tribeca, TIFF, NYFF, Sundance, and several other film festivals. He is a member of New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) and the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA).
As an avid film collector and awards watcher, David’s finger is always on the industry’s pulse. He informs and educates with knowledgeable and exciting content and has become a trusted resource for readers and listeners alike.
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