Desperate for a breakthrough as she nears the big 4-0, struggling New York City playwright Radha finds inspiration by reinventing herself as a rapper.
Radha Blank
Radha
Peter Y. Kim
Archie
Oswin Benjamin
D
Reed Birney
J. Whitman
Imani Lewis
Elaine
T.J. Atoms
Kamal
Welker White
Julie
Jacob Ming-Trent
Lamont
Haskiri Velazquez
Rosa
Stacey Sargeant
Stacey
William Oliver Watkins
Marcus
Meghan O’Neill
Jaime
Ashlee Brian
Avery
Antonio Ortiz
Waldo
Kemba
Kemba
Andre Ward
Forrest
Jackie Adam
Snazzy
Charls Ryu
Korean Vendor
Young M.A
Black Actor
Sadat X
Muslim Vendor
Styles P
Bus Driver
Kit Flanagan
Lyla
Peggy J. Scott
Joy
Qaasim Middleton
Rapping Dude
Corwin C. Tuggles
D's Boy
Mickey Factz
Mickey Factz
Mina Joo
Janelle
Michael Izquierdo
Male Lead / White Man with Paper
Desiree Duncker
Girl 1
Tatiana Rosario
Girl 2
Shooney da Rapper
Shooney da Rapper
Babs
Babs
Gloria Attenburg
RosettaMUSprime
Ms. Fit
Ms. Fit
Nandi Pyle
Girl 3
Miss Undastood
Miss Undastood
Frank DiLella
Frank DiLella
Norma Bayts
Norma Bayts
Dyme-A-Duzin
Fake Kamal
Ravi Blank
Ravi
Kyah Baby
Kyah Baby
Nat Lopez
Fake Rosa
Bertram The Pomeranian
Bertram The Pomeranian
Tracy Wilder
Black Woman
Stewart Steinburg
'Robo Pop' Security Guard
Andrew Glaszek
Big Butt man w/ Dog (uncredited)
Elaine Apruzzese
Theatre Goer (uncredited)
Irene Blackman
Club Patron (uncredited)
Julie Chateauvert
Theatre Patron (uncredited)
Lynn Farrell
Theatre Patron (uncredited)
Doris McCarthy
Theatre Patron (uncredited)
La Aaron Mealy
Rapper in Cypher (uncredited)
Director, Writer
Radha Blank
August 31, 2023
6
Radka is a playwright who has somewhat fallen from grace since her first success and as she approaches 40 is having a sort of mid-life crisis - what is she about? What's it all for? How can she become fulfilled? Well - indefatigable, she goes about setting herself up as a rapper and it becomes quite clear to "D" - the young base track layer that she has some skill at it. He even presuades her to do a live gig so perhaps her rather hum-drum, routine, existence might be about to change for the better... ? Well, simultaneously her agent "Archie" (Peter Kim) is trying to get the rather seedy, gay casting-couch merchant "J Whitman" (Reed Birney) to produce her play and the film juggles her rapping and writing aspirations set against her day-job teaching a disparate bunch of students with attitude and talent - but both need to be controlled! At it's best, this is great - the rapping is potent and poetic; the comedy can be funny - if somewhat predictable; and she is an engaging and likeable character. It is, however, far too long and auteur Blank struggles to maintain the pace and focus of the film for much of what just turns out to be a fairly ordinary tale of a single woman trying to recalibrate. I enjoyed it, but it really could have been doing with a more objective hand at the helm.