The road to achieving one’s dreams is often blocked by barriers of our own making. The fear of failure can be so paralyzing that it stops one from taking the necessary steps forward. It’s this crippling sense of self-doubt that aspiring rapper Jerome aka Rome (Ashton James) is wrestling with in Reza Dahya’s engaging Boxcutter.
Taking time to hone his craft, Rome is determined to make it big in the music industry. While his buddy Sid (Viphusan Vani), who also serves as his de facto manager, works to get him gigs, often ones where they need to pay the promoter for stage time, the young rapper refuses to let others hustle him. He remains steadfast in his belief that, once the right people hear his music, he will secure the allusive record deal that seems just out of reach.
Unfortunately for Rome, few outside his Toronto circle of friends know who he is. Reluctant to promote himself on the various social media platforms, and suffering from a serious case of performance anxiety, his margin for success is narrow.
His chances get even slimmer when the apartment, which he shares with Sid, is broken into and his laptop full of music is stolen. The robbery couldn’t have come at a worse time as a famous musician, Richie Hill (Rich Kidd), is in town for one-night and Rome’s friend plans to set up an introduction.
Believing that this is the big break he has been waiting for, Rome sets out to track down the previous producers he has worked with in hopes of getting copies of his songs. One of those individuals is Everton (Shomari Downer) whose sister Jenaya (Zoe Lewis) is good pals with Rome. Wanting to help her friend out, Jenaya joins the rapper on his day long trek across Toronto as he races to get his tunes before his window for potential fame closes.
As Rome and Jenaya venture through the city, Toronto becomes an important silent character in Boxcutter. Often framed as a place of diversity and opportunity, the city affectionately known as both The Six and the T-Dot can also be a stifling cage. A place where even standing around talking to a friend can raise accusatory suspicion from a white dog walker who is just itching to call the police for the slightest perceived infraction. The sense of feeling trapped is part of the reason Rome is so desperate to make it in the music scene. Facing the possibilities of being forced out of his apartment, as his shady landlord claims the building needs to do long term repairs, the sense of being one misstep from permanent displacement it felt throughout the film.
Dahya may use Rome to express how easily the fear of failure can makes one’s life feel like a house of cards on the brink of collapse, however, it is Jenaya who provides an entry point for how gentrification is erasing communal bonds.
An artist trying to secure a mural contract in Regent Park, Jenaya is constantly confronted with the politics of a city that is becoming increasingly more gentrified. Wanting to capture the past and present of that section of the city, she is pressured by those in power to construct a piece that reflects new whiter faces of the region. Through Jenaya’s strong sense of self, which manifest in a defiant act later in the film, and her journey with Rome, Boxcutter reminds audiences of the various communities and cultures who make up the backbone of Toronto.
Weaving a tale that features just the right mixture of comedy and drama, Dahya crafts a delightful film that captures the vibrancy and sense of uncertainty that comes with city living. Anchored by strong performances from James and Lewis, there is plenty of joy and heart in this love letter to a city that doesn’t often love you back. A fresh and entertaining film, Boxcutter finds its strength in those within the community who believe in you when you might not always believe in yourself.
