Rhythm Thief on VHS

Rhythm Thief is set in New York’s Lower East Side, a world where almosteveryone is desperate or crazy, or both.

The film takes a fly-on-the-wall look at the life of Simon (Jason Andrews)and seems to progress in a similar style to Richard Linklater’s “Slacker”although this film is set predominantly around only Simon and the peoplehe associates with, rather than skipping from person to person as “Slacker”does.

On a Delancey Street curb Simon ekes out a living selling bootleg music tapes.He is continually pestered by Shayme, his strung-out rival in piracy, andhounded by would-be disciple, Fuller (Kevin Corrigan).

Simon’s home is a rat-pit. He survives on a diet of cheap liquor, peanutbutter and leftovers from the diner. He has no-strings sex with Cyd (KimberleyFlynn), an alluring yet volatile man-eater.

He is begin menaced by the hulking ground floor tenant who thinks he’s stolenhis TV, while at the same time being endlessly hassled by another tenant whowants to sell him one. His life has been threatened by a band he’s bootlegged,and he owes money!

Fuller is killed, and Simon is hounded out of the city with girl from thepast Marty (Eddie Daniels) in tow. Marty is a girl who defaces her body withwriting and also scrawls reams and reams over the walls of her apartment.

Simon feels traumatised and confused by the death of his mother, a fact toldto him by Marty. He asks her questions as they make love. Her answers mixfact with philosophy.

But for Simon there is no escape; he is drawn inexorably back to theneighbourhood for a final reckoning with fate.

“Rhythm Thief” is as bleak as it is stylish, as gritty as it is moving andas beautiful. This award-winning feature is both skilfully crafted and offbeatwith striking performances from all the cast.

The director makes excellent use of steadi-cam camerawork so the film flowsalong as if you were there with him. It is as fascinating a piece of ultra-lowbudget movie making as you will ever see.