Somewhere in Queens

The film takes commendable tonal chances, but too easily succumbs to easy jokes and unconvincing plot twists.

Beyond the often hilarious dialogue and some slapstick humor, when Somewhere in Queens gets into serious territory.

The filmmakers know what we (and the story) need: something honest, something recognizable, something real.

It's quiet and charming and has some beautiful, if also familiar things to say about fathers and sons, and the question of legacy.

[Somewhere in Queens] misunderstands its own strengths and underestimates the audience's willingness to go into unexpected places if a famous actor like Ray Romano is there to hold their hands.

Somewhere in Queens is alloyed family sitcom nostalgia sourced from stronger materials.

It's a familiar but beautiful NYC type of story set in an Italian-American milieu.

Somewhere in Queens is helicopter parenting gone wild.

It doesn’t take long for the film to work its modest charms and for the actor/director to hit a sweet spot, balancing realism with the machinations required of interesting drama.

Romano is less interested in gags and more intent on mining the relationship between fathers and sons.