Chop Shop
Chop Shop Image
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Metascore
83 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Summary: Alejandro spends his days in an adult world, running errands and convincing customers to come to his boss's garage instead of a competitor's garage. He's also learning how to paint and repair cars. Although conditions are harsh, his life is sprinkled with moments of happiness as he carves out a life for himself in the wasteland of the Iron Triangle. The brightest of these moments is the arrival of his sister Isamar, who moves in with him in the tiny room that he has found for them perched in the back of the shop where he works. Knowing that creating a better life for the two of them is their best bet at staying together, Alejandro finds her a job in a food van cooking and selling meals to the workers in the Iron Triangle. With a mixture of childlike naiveté and adult ambition, Alejandro begins obsessively saving his money to buy a mobile food van. The two dream about owning and running a small business of their own. But when their dream--as well as their loving relationship--is threatened by the hard truths of life, work, and one another, the children find themselves forced to make the kinds of difficult decisions that most adults never have to face. (Koch Lorber)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    100
    Beautifully observed, and beautifully acted by the novice thespian Polanco (culled from a New York City public school), Chop Shop is at once a heartbreaker and a story of hope and the American Dream.
  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    Now we have an American film with the raw power of “City of God” or “Pixote,” a film that does something unexpected, and inspired, and brave.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    100
    Bahrani's willingness to expose the shameful reality of third-world conditions in the Land of Plenty while telling a crackling good story marks him as a filmmaker as important as he is accessible.
  4. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Michael Rechtshaffen
    80
    Iranian-American filmmaker Ramin Bahrani has followed up his well-received Man Push Cart with another penetrating portrait of life on the outskirts of New York.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. SlaineE.
    10
    Wicked, deep, heavy, the reality that some kids live.
  2. JohnC.
    8
    Listen. It doesn't have a exact hollywood narrative or feel, but that shouldn't be a knock against the film. There are countless ways to tell a story, this one has more compassion for it's young characters then anything coming from a big studio. It's not perfect but I guarantee the subject and the world are riveting. IF we can feel for 3d robots/cars, why not for this youngster?… Expand
  3. PaulK.
    7
    This movie is probably more like a 6.5, but I was feeling a little generous tonight. There's a lot to like about Chop Shop, especially the acting and grittiness of the cinematography. Ultimately though, I felt like the characters needed more development. Maybe more back story or more insight into the relationship of Alejandro and Isamar? Either way, I needed to care more about them and to understand more about the world in which they struggle to live in. The minimal feel of the movie works, but a more substantial ending would have been a nice counterbalance to the slow, introspective pace. Good, not great.… Expand
  4. NickM.
    4
    Bahrani's portrayal of the Bronx and urban life is amazing, but there's too much lacking to make it a successful story. The actors feel young and palpably directed, and the plot lumps along until the end, missing on what should be its climax. A documentary treatment of the Bronx would have been as vivid, and come off with more authenticity in characters. No seriously.… Expand

See all 7 User Reviews

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