Tribeca 2022: Somewhere in Queens Review

This will be one of several reviews from this year’s Tribeca film Festival. To follow our coverage, click here.

Ray Romano is known to many as a comedic actor thanks to his iconic role of Ray Barone on the hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond but since then, he has failed to miss a beat, appearing in countless films and series while dipping his toe in drama on occasion. It is safe to say that he knows what he’s doing. Romano’s feature directorial and writing debut, Somewhere in Queens, is another winner and a love letter to Queens and his Italian upbringing. Boasting plenty of charm and heart as well as a sharp script, the film is hilarious and heartfelt with a cast of characters that are sure to resonate with audiences who will see their own families within its characters. Leading the way was of course Romano as a flawed yet relatable everyman but his dynamic alongside co-star Laurie Metcalf was also something to behold as the latter often stole the show with some delightfully unhinged energy.

Somewhere in Queens centers around Leo Russo (Romano), a man living a simple life with his wife Angela (Metcalf) while working for his family’s construction business where he didn’t quite fit in. The Russo family was an incredibly close Italian family who were so tightly involved in each other’s lives in what may seem overbearing to others but that was just how they were. Though that overbearing nature may rub some people the wrong way, they were fun to watch as they zinged each other out of love. Meanwhile, Leo’s son Sticks (Ward) perhaps had the chance at a life he never got to had, carving a name for himself outside of the family. A basketball prodigy, he had the chance at a scholarship and a professional playing career. Leo made it his life’s mission to make sure Sticks found success. Despite his good intentions, he still made some mistakes along the way as he risked tearing his family apart in the process. As some tough lessons were learned, the only question was whether Leo’s family would survive by the end.

Besides the script, the aforementioned performances of Romano and Metcalf as Leo and Angela were the highlight of Somewhere in Queens. Romano was a charming and relatable lead as his comedic timing was fully on display through his direction, letting his script and ensemble and their great chemistry do the work. Metcalf was a scene-stealer as an overprotective and quippy Italian mother. She and Romano were just perfect together while Ward as Sticks was too much on the stiff side.

At the end of the day, Somewhere in Queens is a nice surprise and promising start for Romano the director.

still courtesy of Tribeca

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.