For nine seasons (1996–2005), former stand-up comedian Ray Romano co-produced, occasionally wrote, and played the title lead in “Everybody Loves Raymond” (“Everybody”), a CBS sitcom that enjoyed mammoth viewership and lukewarm critical response while offering ultrasafe content.
From 2009 to 2011, Romano did the same thing on “Men of a Certain Age” (“Certain”), a much edgier comedy with dramatic elements that wowed critics, won a Peabody Award, and pulled in below-modest ratings that led to TNT’s canceling it after two seasons.
Senior Rookie
It’s too early to say for sure, but the two very different demographics for those two TV shows are likely to find themselves on somewhat favorable common ground with “Somewhere in Queens” (“Queens”), which Queens native Romano co-produced, co-wrote (with “Certain” staff writer Mark Stegemann), and plays the lead. At age 65, Romano directed “Queens,” his first feature film as a director, proving that it’s never too late to try something new.From the get-go, it is clear that Romano is quite comfortable behind the camera. Following a video sequence at a wedding, the opening title sequence pans the ground-level Queens landscape and includes landmarks such as White Castle and Citi Field in a manner similar to that seen in “The Sopranos.”
Family Business
Leo Russo (Romano) works construction in a family business founded by his father Dominic (Tony Lo Bianco), alongside his brothers Frank (Sebastian Maniscalco) and Petey (Jon Manfrellotti). Frank is also the foreman and relishes in bossing his older brothers around. The crew is currently doing work for Pamela (Jennifer Esposito), a frisky widow who is way too into yoga and is prowling for a new squeeze.Laurie Metcalf co-stars as Leo’s high school sweetheart-wife Angela, a stay-at-home mom with a barely functioning brain-to-mouth filter who pretty much runs the Russo household without, and this is key, ever emasculating Leo. A versatile actress who seems to capture the essence of a role, Metcalf’s “New Yawk” accent is dead-on-the-mark without sounding forced, overly broad, or like anything resembling parody.
For very different reasons best explained in the film, Leo and Angela are heavily invested in the future of their only child, Matthew (Jacob Ward), lovingly referred to by everyone as “Sticks.” A senior and the best player on his just-average high school basketball team, Sticks is a shy high school senior who says little, emotes less, and is nearly impossible to read.
Sticks is so enigmatic and inscrutable that Leo and Angela have no idea that he has a girlfriend (Sadie Stanley), until Dani introduces herself to them after a season-ending game. Perky, personable, blunt when warranted, and not too gregarious, Dani is from a lesser-affluent part of Forest Hills, which is her way of saying that she’s not an elitist snob. Leo immediately likes her; the forever suspicious Angela has her doubts.
Just Like Real Life
The filmmakers pull off a near-impossible feat here. They craft a story that is at once mainstream friendly and smart, but in a not-too-esoteric or condescending manner. Often sticky and complicated issues surrounding first love, elusive love, time-tested love, and parent-child love are all given equal play time and none are resolved in pat, safe, only-in-the-movies ways; much of it is complicated and some of it gets messy, just like in real life.I’m not an “Everybody” fan (I watched two episodes and wasn’t wowed) but was slightly impressed with “Certain”—more so with the performances of co-stars Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula. I’ve seen video clips of Romano’s late 1980s to early ‘90s stand-up stuff and they were good, but not so much that I’d watch them again. I did, however, kind of like Romano’s brief turn as a union attorney in Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.” In other words, I never thought much of Romano—until now.
“Queens” is a phenomenal first-filmmaking effort, and I can’t wait to see what Romano does next. In less than two hours, he completely changed my opinion of his talents and I humbly tip my hat to him.
Way to go, Ray.
