Andy Singer, an out-of-work actor now struggling as a New York City realtor, finds his world crashing down around him when his estranged 10-year-old daughter, Anna, shows up unannounced on his doorstep in the middle of his eviction. Before I dive into this review, it is important to note that my friend Simon Hacker directed this film and even if I didn’t know him personally, I would still be blown away by the fact that this is his directorial debut. Taking place on the hottest day of summer in New York City, the film follows Andy Singer (Michael Zegen) who runs around the city with his estranged 10 year old daughter trying to figure out a way to pay his rent by day’s end. Notice To Quit is the sort of slice of life indie comedy (without all the pretentious artsy fartsy elements) we so rarely see these days. It’s only 91 minutes and right off the bat, fully lets the viewer know they’re in for a face paced and frantic experience. Andy is the sort of disheveled and disorganized working class man I so easily relate to. Not a single thing is working out for him right from the beginning when a pedestrian bumps into him causing Andy’s shirt to be completely stained with coffee. That immediately sets the tone for the rest of the film. Michael Zegen infuses just the right amount of chaotic energy into the character of Andy, making him an irresponsible dad who deeply cares about his daughter even if he makes questionable decisions along the way. Andy literally claws and scrapes to find air conditioning units in which he can sell all while trying to make closings on these sketchy apartments. Kasey Bella Suarez is a total revelation as Andy’s daughter Anna and I was quite shocked that this was her very first performance in a real movie. To add insult to injury, Anna and her mother, played by Isabel Arraiza, plan to move to Florida the very next day. What’s even more problematic for Andy is that he just can’t seem to close a single listing to any clients. Even when he’s about to close a deal, his rival realtor always seems to step in and get the upper hand. As someone who’s a salesperson myself, it’s these sort of frustrating scenarios that are easily relatable to me. The movie is shot on 35 mm film which adds to the grit and sweatiness of Andy’s bad day. Some of the funniest moments in the film come with the situational humor of Andy doing showings of these rough looking apartments with barely any appliances and the bewildered response from his clients.
There is plenty of heart and soul in this movie and that can be fully attributed to the father/daughter relationship between Andy and Anna and their naturally playful chemistry together. A massive highlight of the supporting cast is Robert Klein as Andy’s father who’s obsessed with painting. While he isn’t in the film all that much, his scenes are utterly hilarious. There are a few things that felt a bit unbelievable to me. At one point in the movie, Andy and Anna are essentially kidnapped by a group of individuals that are quite dissatisfied with Andy’s incompetence in finding working appliances to sell. These men threaten Andy right in front of Anna in the van and Anna doesn’t seem all that afraid. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a really funny sequence that made me chuckle, but at the same time, some of the believability was thrown out the window. The film’s ending took me off guard and genuinely made me emotional. I think if you are a parent with similar experiences to Andy, you may also find a lot to resonate with the conclusion of Notice To Quit. It’s very important to support these smaller indie films with wholesome themes and messages that the common folk (and not just the elites in Hollywood) can relate to. I see a lot of myself in Andy and a lot of him in me. Simon clearly knows what it’s to grind and hustle and that’s reflected by Andy’s many struggles. Props to Simon and Gordon for understanding the assignment of delivering a short and sweet comedy with characters who have real life issues that just about anyone can empathize with. Overall, with a chaotically energetic performance from Michael Zegen and a star-making first time effort from the young Kasey Bella Suarez, Simon Hacker’s directorial debut is a funny, endearing, lively, and bittersweet father/daughter indie comedy.
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