Row Your Boat
Taking its title from a children's song and its story of crime and redemption from countless American indie dramas,Row Your Boatis a sweet and not altogether predictable tale of recently released convict Jamey Meadows (Jon Bon Jovi) trying to get it right the second time around. Refusing help from his brother and former partner in crime (William Forsythe), he gets a job as a census taker to save enough cash for an apartment. On his rounds he meets pretty Chinese immigrant Chun Hua (Bai Ling), the unhappy trophy wife of a 60-year-old businessman, and spends his off hours teaching her English just for her company. True love? Maybe not, but she could be Jamey's second chance if he can stay clear of his brother, whose debts to a local loan shark push him to ever more desperate schemes. Writer-director Sollace Mitchell never quite avoids the clichés of the smalltime urban crime drama, but his refreshingly matter-of-fact direction balances the dangerous with the mundane. There's nothing glamorous in these minor heists or in Jamey's efforts to keep his self-respect and hope alive while living out of homeless shelters and killing time on the streets. Perhaps that's why this modest film got lost in the shuffle: it avoids the easy drama of violent showdowns to explore the real struggle of surviving the streets.--Sean Axmaker