BLUE COLLAR BOYS

BLUE COLLAR BOYS

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Opening in theatres from writer/director Mark Nistico and LeoMark Studios comes the story of a family and a sign of the times with BLUE COLLAR BOYS.

This film tells the story of Red (Gabe Fazio), a construction worker who is in business with his father Senior (Bruce Kirkpatrick). Along with his friend Nazo (Kevin Interdonato) and Slim (Russ Russo) there days are busy and their nights are filled with drinking and occasional fist fights.

That is until Red must take and finds that running the business is not what he thought. Finding financial secrets Senior was keeping and dealing with businesses refusing to pay their bills, Red’s anger builds.

As each man tries to take care of his own, the anger of being a blue collar working man begins to show strain. Constantly looking for a better way the struggles lead to a conclusion of disaster.

FINAL WORD: Fazio as Red is totally conflicted and it shows in every move he makes. The relationship with Kirkpatrick as Senior is embedded in frustration and generational conflict. Senior obviously raised in a time where you gave people a chance, believed their word and a handshake was as good as any signed contract.

Fazio is not that way knowing that those characteristics now are taken advantage of by those who have the money against those who are owed the money. With Interdonato and Russo as aggravated, if not more so, than Red it doesn’t take long before a fuse is lit.

Other cast includes: Ed Setrakian as Gene, Lev Gorn as Ira, Sonja Stuart as Patty, Julie Bersani as Samantha, Shane Kearns as Irish, Tiffany Ellen Solano as Marisol, Kirk Ponton as Thaddeus, Mark Konrad as Councilman George, Sal Rendino as Detective Reilly, Melanie Minichino as Mrs. Steiner and Joshua Paled as Mason. 

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give BLUE COLLAR BOYS three tubs of popcorn out of five. The film starts out angry and I’m sure the audience might be a little surprised by the language. But the fact is it shouldn’t be surprising. In a gritty way this film is a look at the struggles and emotional pent up aggravation middle class workers feel.

The story is of a family trying to make ends meet with a pen as the weapon of the big developers. No one truly wants to look at the affects on businesses especially when the look is dismal and disheartening in many ways. Why? Because the average American feels hopeless but no one wants to show it! This film shows it and whether you agree with the portrayal or not – the truth is there are more families that feel and experience this story than one would ever hear about on the news.

It is rugged, it is disarming and it is scary and those who see the film should take that with them!

In the end – you are nothing without family.