Harlem Aria (1999)

9% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
56% of users liked it
(47 ratings)

An aspiring opera singer from Harlem teams up with a charismatic busker and a kindhearted hustler to share his voice with the world, and teaches his two newfound friends the importance of taking your destiny into your own hands. Anton (Gabriel Casseus) lives in Harlem with his aunt. He dreams of… More An aspiring opera singer from Harlem teams up with a charismatic busker and a kindhearted hustler to share his voice with the world, and teaches his two newfound friends the importance of taking your destiny into your own hands. Anton (Gabriel Casseus) lives in Harlem with his aunt. He dreams of moving to Italy and becoming a famous opera singer, and though he's been blessed with a magnificent singing voice, his passion has made him an outsider in his neighborhood. Running away from home, Anton meets passionate street pianist Matthew (Christian Carmago) and together the two begin drawing large, appreciate crowds on the street. Working the crowd as they do their thing is Wes (Damon Wayans), whose natural charm always gets the cash flowing. And while life on the streets is never easy, Anton, Matthew, and Wes soon discover that by following their dreams, they may find a means of transforming their lives forever. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: William Jennings
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 5, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Apr 6, 2010
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
Missing no stops on the road from cloying to annoying, Harlem Aria has waited more than 10 years for domestic release. Maybe its destiny has been written.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Harlem Aria has been gathering dust since it screened at the Toronto Film Festival in 1999. Why it is now getting a release is something Congress should look into.
Robert Koehler, Variety
Despite pro handling on both sides of he camera, the storytelling and filmmaking ring false, especially, in the characterizations.
Andrew Schenker, Village Voice
Racial tensions and bawdy humor carry the day, until, following an unfunny set piece at a fancy hotel and a street robbery, black and white (far too) easily come together to help their young charge.
Kam Williams, TheLoop21.com
100 minutes of Hell that had me reaching for my meds.
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
100 minutes of Hell that had me reaching for my meds.
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
100 minutes of Hell that had me reaching for my meds.
Kam Williams, Sly Fox
100 minutes of Hell that had me reaching for my meds.
Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
A contrived, lazy drama that's increasingly asinine, unrealistic, awkward and over-the-top.
Maria Garcia, Film Journal International
Entertaining debut film about a Harlem laundry worker who dreams of becoming a famous tenor.
Aaron Hillis, Time Out New York
You're better off giving your money to a real street performer.
Joseph Jon Lanthier, Slant Magazine
Scrap the negligible subplot about inanimate objects desiring, and achieving, corporeal existence and the narrative of William Jennings's Harlem Aria is essentially Pinocchio in the Hood.