In brief:Dunning Man (2017) Harlem Film Festival 2017

The Dunning Man is a the story of young man who flees New York for Atlantic City. In financial trouble in the Big Apple he retreats to the properties he owns in the Garden State. But fate has him crashing into his tenants who are no so forth coming with the rent, two animal trainers with mob ties, a hard partying raper, his uncle who is ready with an angle at every turn and single mom.

A surprisingly charming comedy drama cum romance this was a film that blindsided me. I didn’t expect to fall as in love with it as I did. That the film works as well as it does is combination of a good script that doesn’t stay on the way worn path and cast that gives all their characters enough shading that they become more than just caricatures. We like everyone and we are happy to follow them where ever they are going.

If there is any problem with the film is that despite a great script and cast, the film tries too hard to be a hip inde film with freeze frame intros to the characters and typical inde shot choices. If the filmmakers had tried to create a vision as unique as the rest of the film this would have been a great film instead of a really good one.

Nitpicks aside Dunning Man is a charming entertaining film and worth your time when it plays at the Harlem Film Festival this Saturday at 6.

For more information and tickets go here