Milad Tangshir’s 2024 film Anywhere Anytime draws inspiration from one of the greatest films ever made, Vittorio De Sica’s 1948 classic Bicycle Thieves. Both works tell poignant stories of ordinary people facing economic hardship and the toll it takes. Though borrowing elements of plot and style, Tangshir ensures his own film has substance as a contemporary tale.
Anywhere Anytimecenters on Issa, a Senegalese immigrant working odd jobs in Turin, Italy. After losing his latest role, Issa earns money through food delivery, just as automated gig work has exploded. But this new livelihood depends entirely on his rusty bicycle—one small obstacle away from ruin. When it’s stolen, Issa embarks on a fraught search, his desperation escalating as barriers like racism and bureaucratic uncaring compound ordinary troubles.
Tehran-born director Tangshir brings unique vision through his Iranian and adopted Italian lenses. He sees how global dynamics impact local communities in flux, from immigration changes to technological disruption.
The film tactfully threads these thought-provoking layers throughout 80 suspenseful minutes, mirroring Bicycle Thieves in exploring one man’s fall from and struggle for dignity against the whims of a flawed system. Anywhere Anytime proves how attentively updating timeless themes for current contexts keeps important stories resonant and relevant.
Undocumented in Italy
Our story centers around Issa, a young man from Senegal who found his way to Italy looking to build a better life. For six years he’s worked hard, doing his best to contribute while navigating the challenges of having no legal status. As the film starts, Isaac is employed at an outdoor market in Turin.
Though he takes pride in supporting himself, Issa lives with constant instability. One morning, his employer is spooked by patrolling police and worries of fines, letting Issa go with no warning. Now cashless, it seems his situation might grow dire. Thankfully, Issa’s friend Mario comes to the rescue.
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Mario, a cook at a restaurant, manages his own stability in Italy. He lends Issa crucial assistance—equipment for a new job, funds to purchase a bicycle, and even the use of his phone. Through an app, Issa finds work delivering meals across town on his bike. With this simple yet indispensable tool, he might finally gain security.
Issa bonds with others in his bold new community of riders. He draws close to a fellow migrant, Awa, taking her on a picturesque nighttime ride. But in one heartbreaking moment, it all comes crashing down—Issa’s bicycle is stolen, along with his primary means of making ends meet.
To get back what is essentially his livelihood on wheels, Issa embarks on a troubling search, driven to extremes in his fight against the harsh blows of instability. From here, Tangshir takes us on a deeply human journey through one man’s struggle to merely stay afloat.
On Location with Tangshir
It’s clear director Tangshir carries influences from his past documentary work. Anywhere Anytime features a gritty realism that transports viewers straight to the streets and landscapes. With mostly unknown actors and locations that seem simply everyday spots, the effect makes the struggles feel startlingly authentic.
Natural light and lengthy takes let real scenes unfold before our eyes. We observe the subtlest of movements and facial expressions, connecting deeply with Issa and others. Though there is no star power, the performances feel powerful because they are drawn from within. Special credit goes to lead Sambou, who conveys immense emotional complexity with his eyes alone.
Beautifully captured by cinematographer Maio, each setting comes to life as a vibrant character. Whether the lively morning market or run-down housing, the locations surround protagonists in a fully living world. We follow Issa down crowded roads, feeling the energy and precarity all around.
Certain scenes stay etched in memory. In a soup kitchen, faces of hopelessness linger in our minds, showing anonymous lives impacted too. Elsewhere, quiet dialogue between Issa and an elderly lets real human struggles surface in gentle moments. Tangshir lets universal themes emerge from within very specific realities.
Music provides an evocative spine, from jazzy scores to cultural songs matching the immigrant experience. Heart-pounding chases feel more intense backed by melodic protest pieces. Cultural memories arise whether rides with Awa or melancholy evenings alone. The sounds transport us across borders like the characters themselves.
Through confident yet subtle styles, Anywhere Anytime gives viewers an intimate window into the humanity behind today’s pressing issues. We see clearly how timely policies impact individual livelihoods, communities, and spirits in the most authentic of ways.
A Bicycle for the Modern Age
It’s impossible to discuss Anywhere Anytime without acknowledging its clear inspiration—Vittorio De Sica’s 1948 masterpiece Bicycle Thieves. Both films center around a man who loses the bike crucial to his family’s survival.
Yet where De Sica focused on a father desperate to provide for his son, Tangshir highlights the solitary plight of Issa, an undocumented immigrant battling obstacles the original protagonist never faced. Issa’s lost bike isn’t just a job enabler but a lifeline to basic safety and dignity in his adopted home.
While retaining Bicycle Thieves’ emotional potency, Tangshir shrewdly updates elements for contemporary context. Issa rides for apps in the precarious gig economy, not a formal job—symbolizing many workers’ new instability. And as an undocumented man, calling authorities risks everything rather than a possibility.
Subtler’s departures expand the story’s reach too. Where De Sica showed post-war struggles, here African songs during chase sequences acknowledge immigration’s cultural impact on societies like Italy. Issa’s flirtation with Awa also represents new generations seeking connection despite challenges.
Anywhere Anytime proves a classic story can remain relevant when adapted responsibly. By modernizing specifics while keeping the humanity, Tangshir creates a worthy successor that stands independently. His film shows how timeless themes of desperation and dignity still drive so many, no matter the era or policies in power.
Struggling Against the System
Anywhere Anytime shines a light on challenging issues still all too relevant. Through Issa’s experiences, we see how the plight of those without privilege plays out in modern societies.
A relentless cycle of poverty looms over the film—one missed paycheck from catastrophe. Issa joins the legions laboring in today’s uncertain gig economy, where a stolen bike means losing one’s sole way to earn a barely surviving wage. As laws put up barriers, the most vulnerable fall through cracks by no fault of their own.
Questions of bureaucratic process, red tape, and unequal treatment underpin Issa’s daily difficulties. Though hardworking, his undocumented status leaves no safeguards—not even involving authorities over the stolen goods on which his life depends. Subtly, the film shows how systems professing order instead breed insecurity.
Race, too, emerges as an omnipresent obstacle. Whether subtle microaggressions or outright threats, Issa faces discrimination at every turn as a black man in a new environment. The film argues such prejudice compounds societal failures to welcome outsiders with true compassion.
Desperation drives characters to morally complex places. Yet through it all, a spirit of kindness and hope sustains. Issa finds care in Mario’s assistance and love in Awa’s friendship. Their care demonstrates basic humanity transcending all divisions.
Anywhere Anytime proves these issues will remain pressing until all people receive dignity. Through subtle, emotive storytelling, the film starts crucial conversations and sheds light on those society would rather ignore. It calls us to consider both systemic flaws and our own role in a world hurting many in silence.
Tangshir’s Triumph Over Minor Flaws
While Anywhere Anytime presents a serious story with care, the film isn’t flawless. Some supporting players could have used more development beyond their rushed introductions and exits. And conversations between Issa and love interest Awa felt like missed chances for deeper insight.
Yet lead Ibrahima Sambou ensures viewers remain invested throughout. With incredible subtlety, he brings Issa’s internal turmoil to the surface. Though fate deals unceasing blows, Sambou ensures we keep rooting for his dignified spirit. It’s a remarkably nuanced portrayal for a first-time actor.
Moreover, the gripping narrative sweeps away quibbles around any uneven writing. As Issa’s plight intensifies into a heart-pounding chase, tension stays high to the sobering conclusion. And a culturally rich soundtrack strengthens unease, curiosity, and compassion with each character-driving song.
The musical selections remind us that our shared humanity transcends borders. Whether African jazz or Middle Eastern folk, the tunes celebrate contributing cultures while sounding a cry for recognition. Like immigrants everywhere, the music finds a way to keep cultural memories alive against resistance.
While a first feature, Tangshir confidently updates a classic for modern times. He spins a timely parable, highlighting obstacles faced by those society neglects. In doing so, the director joins the pantheon of neorealist greats who used raw, emotional storytelling to start crucial conversations.
Anywhere Anytime may not achieve total polish, but its flaws feel petty compared to Sambou’s searing lead performance and Tangshir’s skilled reframing of a beloved tale. This film will stick with viewers long after credits roll.
Tangshir Breaths New Life into a Classic Tale
Anywhere Anytime proves a timeless story of the human spirit remains compelling when updated for modern contexts. While paying homage to Bicycle Thieves, Tangshir ensures his film stands independently with subtle contemporary brushstrokes.
Through Issa’s journey, viewers glimpse both persistent social ills and flickers of hope. We see how those deemed “invisible” by systems find resilience in shared humanity. The film eloquently broaches issues still demanding attention: from economic insecurity and bureaucratic failings to racial inequity and indifference towards the disadvantaged.
Most powerfully, Anywhere Anytime highlights how one small act of harm can devastate lives already marginalized. Yet through it all, glimmers of compassion give hope—reminding us that our common bonds often transcend policies or prejudice.
With deft direction that feels cradled in documentary sincerity, Tangshir crafts a tale to linger in minds and kindle crucial conversations. While not without flaws, his debut renews the capacity of storytelling to share diverse perspectives and spur social progress. For any lover of intimate, thought-provoking cinema, Anywhere Anytime proves a notable film deserving wide appreciation
The Review
Anywhere Anytime
In Tangshir's capable hands, a timeless story gains renewed power to start important discussions. Despite some missteps, Sambou's searing lead performance and the film's authentic socio-political insights make Anywhere Anytime a notable directorial debut well deserving of widespread viewings.
PROS
- Gripping, emotional storytelling that remains compelling
- Authentic portrayals of timely issues like economic precarity, racism, and bureaucratic challenges
- Subtle exploration of cross-cultural connections and humanity's shared bonds
- Evocative soundtrack that enhances themes
- Nuanced central performance by Ibrahima Sambou
CONS
- Some minor supporting characters could have been developed more thoroughly.
- Occasional plot points feel heavy-handed
- Flaws are minor compared to the film's overall achievement.
