...Around (Movie Review)

There are some who cringe at the thought of film school, believing that real filmmaking and storytelling can’t be taught in a classroom, only through experience.

Some of these people claim they’d rather make their own movies and live on the streets, far away from the cookie-cutter safety of film school.

...Around’s protagonist justifies living on the streets as long as he’s in film school.


As a story of struggles and perseverance, ...Around engages in a commendable way, considering its obviously low budget.

However, the movie fails to provide a reason for its character’s plot-driving passion for film – one of several occasions in which illogical character development causes the movie to falter.

Growing up in Jersey City in the 90s, Doyle (Rob Evans) never got much support for his film school goals apart from his buddy Logic (Marcel Torres) and the coworker he’s smitten over, Allyson (Molly Ryman). After his first year at school blows by in a breeze of disappointment, Doyle must decide whether he’s willing to do whatever it takes to go back for another year of classes in the expensive, unfriendly city of New York. His dedication is tested almost immediately. After missing the financial aid deadline, Doyle, left moneyless, resorts to spending his nights sleeping in Grand Central Station and his days walking the streets with all his worldly possessions slung over his back. Every necessity requires the young man to live the life of a thief and bum.

With a film as low-budget and, frankly, good-natured as ...Around, you typically don’t get a hard-hitting portrayal of poverty or life on the streets. Let’s face it, this isn’t Boyz n the Hood, but thankfully, it’s not the danger-free Disney Channel version of the streets that plenty of well-meaning shoestring-budget films use. We still get Saul (Ron Brice), the benevolent, lovable bum with the funny hat who’s not nearly as jaded or as tough as he’s meant to be portrayed. He takes a liking to Doyle and shows him a few tricks, even christening him with a cute nickname – “Movie Star.” Still, when he points out that the only difference between himself and Doyle is 20 years, Saul proves he has a bit of an edge, preventing him from becoming a total cliché.

Evans, playing Doyle, exhibits a knack for comedic timing and director David Spaltro capitalizes on this, allowing a look or hesitation to instantly elevate a scene, giving it a jolt of energy. As a character, Doyle puts himself out there as long as it’ll help him or someone he loves, which could mean distracting those who bully his sister by announcing to the cafeteria that he hates black people, or it could mean table dancing for a bachelorette party to earn extra cash. An actor with less charisma would drag the entire film down to an unsalvageable level, but Evans capably drives the bus.


...Around’s biggest flaw doesn’t reveal itself until we’re nearly halfway through the film. So far, it’s been an interesting, entertaining look at a young man struggling in the big city, homeless and poor, desperately keeping everything from falling apart. But we’ve yet to stop and ask why. Why is Doyle putting himself through all of this? For film school, right? The problem is that we have no idea why he even wants to go to film school. Is film his passion? The narration tells us so, but we don’t see it. Doyle’s shown us nothing to indicate that he can’t live without being a filmmaker, or that he has some special yearning, or even a gift for storytelling. About 45 minutes into the film, Spaltro finally gives us the reason, but it’s the generic “You can actually tell stories!” cliché that comes dangerously close to sounding like an afterthought. There’s not much that’s extraordinary about Doyle’s “passion,” and I suspect he has a greater enthusiasm for film school than for actual filmmaking.

Cinematically speaking, Doyle and Allyson’s romantic relationship develops at a reasonable pace, but the progression of their courtship fails the smell test when you remember that ...Around spans four years. The two simply hang out for nearly two of those years before their romantic relationship grows any legs, although Doyle spends the beginning of their relationship constantly begging Allyson for a date. After being so forward in his initial meetings with her, I’m not naïve enough to believe that Doyle could handle a slow, platonic friendship with Allyson for a couple of years.

The abrupt shift the film takes upon entering the third quarter of the story is equally unbelievable as the plot and its main character take a self-destructive dive. A significant event in Doyle’s life is meant to cause the change in the character’s attitude, making you wonder if his spirit will break, but it ends up feeling too manufactured, as if the film looked at the running time and decided it was due for “the big conflict.” Because of this, the character’s irrational choices frustrate more than they compel as we wonder why the heck Doyle is acting like such an idiot.

Fortunately, the film’s weakest section gets bailed out by one of its strongest. A fairly simple montage featuring slow-motion shots of the main characters transitions the film from the rough patch to the final act. Wes Anderson incorporates these types of sequences in his films, but he usually uses expensive dolly shots and ironic British pop tunes from the 70s. ...Around doesn’t have that kind of money to work with, so it keeps the sequence basic by creating most of its motion through panning shots and backs it all up with a soft, sweetly sung melody. The results are undeniable as the sequence slows down the action in a way that allows the film to regain its composure before marching forward. It’s easy to tell that this film is working with limited financial resources, but it performs admirably with what it has.

In a sense, the film reflects its protagonist’s resolve. Despite shortcomings in budget, ...Around still succeeds through resourcefulness, making the most of its locations, equipment, and actors, even if it does stumble through some bad character reasoning and a brief self-righteous stint.