Documentarian Matt Mahurin peers into Shopsin's, a hole-in-the-wall Greenwich Village restaurant that's been dutifully serving comfort food to satisfied customers for more than 30 years. Lording over the eatery is hilarious, ersatz philosopher/owner Kenny Shopsin, who caters to such regulars as writer Calvin Trillin. Shopsin dispenses tough love with his okra chowder and is just as likely to throw out customers as take their food orders.
A true New York poet-philosopher -- with an incredibly foul mouth. The film mostly gets a running narrative from Shopsin as his family and their East Village restaurant prepare to gut the place and set up shop in a new neighborhood further west in the Village. Leaving his place is clearly traumatic, for Shopsin and his customers, but the film is about this unique group of people and Shopsin's take on the world. He's crude and loud and doesn't suffer fools, but he still seems like a good guy -- and an honest one.
Words of Wisdom from Kenny:
- respect everyone, even people who don't deserve it, because you never know who's just temporarily undeserving. That's the mark of high civilization.
- don't be so nice. you shouldn't be nice to people.
fyi: The place moved again after this movie came out, to the Essex St. market just around the corner from Babeland.
No comments:
Post a Comment