‘Notice To Quit’ Review – A Dog Day In New York

Working-class cinema is going extinct because artists who originally emerged from working-class environments have less access to filmmaking and films. Half of New Hollywood today is nepo baby after nepo baby, coming from privileged backgrounds, wanting to make cinema that only speaks to them, with problems that don’t involve real-life people – those who come from backgrounds that pressure them into situations as far from their dreams as possible.

Notice to Quit belongs to modern working-class cinema. This genre is rarely allowed to speak to a wider audience. As cinemagoers today, people are more used to shoving their fears and socio-economic global concerns under the rug. But films like this need to exist, to keep us in touch with our daily struggles and human side, grounded in realism with a touch of quirk. It brings to mind many exciting working-class films like The Goodbye Girl, Big Daddy, and even classics like Annie Hall and Working Girl.

Andy is a failed actor/broker on a tight schedule to make a sum of money or risk getting kicked out of his apartment. His life is falling apart, his ex-wife is moving out of New York with his daughter, and the latter misses spending quality time with him. Writer and director Simon Hacker uses a moving camera to his benefit, characters are always on the run and events unfold from one stop to the other. Hacker perfectly captures the hectic, frantic New York vibe, showcasing the heat and the traffic jam with such fervent, vibrant energy, accentuated by the actors’ performances, which, despite some variance, succeed in capturing the fun and the heartbreak of a day gone wrong. Hacker must be lauded for his dynamic command of the camera work, especially with multiple outdoor shoots.

One of the few problems with this film is the soundtrack. It could have used a less overt, scene-revealing soundtrack. The comedy stems from the situations alone, people clashing with each other, fighting, and disapproving. It’s a cutthroat lifestyle and everyone is on a run, not stopping to take their breath. But the music composition, instead of subtly complementing the scenes, reveals more than it should, breaking the engagement with the scenes on the screen, alienating the viewer despite a familiar, intimate story that feels universal, even in its specificity.

Casting child actors is always a tough bait. It’s either a stellar performance or one that bites the dust. But Hacker’s decision to cast Kasey Bella Suarez is a revelation. One of the most pleasant surprises in this film is Suarez’s nuanced, grounded, and calm performance, never veering on exaggeration even with all the adults around her yelling and creating mayhem. Suarez will have a brilliant career ahead if more casting directors watch her performance in this film, and she may have a bigger chance of mainstream recognition if she snags the right role in the right mega movie. Her performance as Anna is a breath of fresh air in the oppressive New York heat. Her determination and self-sufficiency make her a compelling character to follow. She has to grow up on her own to fill in the blanks that the adults missed while running the rat race to fill in for her.

Notice to Quit is frantic, funny, hectic, and heartwarming. It may have benefited from a little coldness, as the sweat overflowed and left the screen stained sometimes, but it brings to mind the beauty of pre-aughts family movies, features that blend comedy with tragedy, genuine emotions with solid scriptwriting, and compelling characters. 

Notice To Quit is currently playing in select theaters courtesy of Whiskey Creek.