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Tramps as a romance film works but is pretty lackluster when it comes to everything else.
Characters & Storyline
Neither Ellie (Grace Van Patten) nor Danny (Callum Turner) have the best life. Ellie’s life in Pittsburgh with Ricky is far from perfect and while Danny gets along with his mom, and helps her little betting pool gig, unfortunately, he has to deal with Darren. Someone who is into something much more shady than what their mom does. However, when Darren (Mihcal Vondel) ends up being unable to do a transaction, he uses their mother to coerce Danny to go in his place. Thus beginning an adventure which should have been a simple exchange but, with Danny not getting all the details, he ends up chasing a woman throughout New York, with Ellie right there with him. For not only do they both need to get the money from the exchange but it isn’t clear what may happen if they don’t get it.
Highlights
The Romantic Story
The saving grace of this movie is the sort of rough around the edges Ellie and sweet natured Danny. Their interactions, be it cute or sort of bickering, are what will keep you engaged with the film. For while neither has some real deep and emotional conversation with the other, they keep it realistic. You see them look at one another and can’t help but smile and get some secondhand butterflies. For the way she looks at him may begin as cautious, but then it becomes trusting, curious, and you can see the potential of her falling for him. Then with him, there is this interest in this mysterious, and kind of scary to him, girl. One he knows has been through things but, being the type of guy he is, he thinks he can make life at least a smidge better. Even if it is just making her smile.
Criticism
The Getting the Briefcase Plot
I want you to imagine the scenario which happens in the movie. A person takes your bag by accident but on the other side of the enclosure is a briefcase. You don’t know what is in the briefcase. Would you take it? To me, I can’t fathom anyone getting their pocketbook stolen and taking a briefcase in exchange. Just as collateral in case the person who took it realizes what they did. Granted, maybe in a New York that happens often? I don’t know. But in my Jersey way of thinking, if I put my bookbag down and someone took it and left a suitcase? I’m just going to figure I’m SOL. I’ve seen this scenario in movies enough times to know not to take an abandoned suitcase.
Though to make things worse, they are in New York. For what she could have known, there could have been a bomb in that suitcase, drugs, or a huge amount of money she could have been killed for. But, at the end of the day, this whole plot was just the method used to tell set the romantic plot into motion.
Inconsistency of Polish Subtitles When Mom Talks
While Ola (Mariola Mlekicki), Danny and Darren’s mom, doesn’t have a huge part, I found it so annoying that a lot of the lines she spoke weren’t translated into subtitles. Granted, they probably didn’t play a huge role in the film, but you never know.
On The Fence
Lack of Sob Story/ Ellie’s Development
I was personally fine with Ellie not going into the full details of why she wanted to leave Ricky and Pittsburgh. Yet, I believe some may want a bit more out of that since Ellie’s past is a bit of a mystery. For while, with Danny, you can get he doesn’t want to be like his brother or inherit his mom’s business, he just wants to cook, it isn’t clear what led Ellie’s life to the path she is on.
Overall: Mixed (Home Viewing)
While the chemistry between Van Patten and Turner is undeniable, the unfortunate method of then coming together doesn’t get eclipsed by their adventure together. It remains this weird craw as we see one low-level gangster after another and come to question how life threatening are they and what is their business? Add on that we get to fully know Danny but Ellie remains a bit of a mystery, and you can understand why this had to be labeled mixed.
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Ellie obviously has never been to Pittsburgh, A fact given away when she states it is full of “shitty people”. As a life long “Yinzer” I can assure her that “the Burgh” is known for being full of friendly people. She should visit sometime.