You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares, so go downtown-PCby DanelleAugustin

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August 15, 2009: Downtown 81'

In this magical feature film, artist extraordinaire Jean-Michel Basquiat is in full form, nineteen and almost ready to hear those post-graffiti fan screams. In one day, we see him leave a hospital having suffered some mysterious illness, get evicted from his run down East Village apartment, try to sell a painting, get paid for it by check, have his band's equipment stolen, chase down a beautiful model he had met, and live life to the fullest. For the artistically inclined, it is a wondrous sight to see Basquiat graffiti writing his poetic revelations on decrepit walls and in books. Little vignettes abound when Basquiat, bright eyed and bushy tailed, runs into his artist friends including Fab Five Freddy, Lee Quinones, and Debby Harry (of Blondie). The film is interspersed with performances by new wave artists including: Kid Creole and the Coconuts, The Plastics, James White and the Blacks, DNA, etc, punctuated with scenes of the rhythms and rap of hip hop. To say this film technically looks a little low budget would be an understatement. But that is where its charm lies. The simple hand held nature of the camera coincides with the innocence and exuberance of these artists before they are swept away into the artistic halls of stardom. Downtown 81 offers a fictionalized version of a day in the life of the young Jean-Michel, a day that included drawing, creating, laughing, and dancing. Although he died only seven years later, in this film, we are reminded of the pleasure he took with his friends in providing us the masterpieces he has left behind. -Danelle Augustin