Downtown Express (2012)

Release Date: April 20th, 2012

Director: David Grubin

Writers: David Grubin, Kathleen Cahill

Actors: Ashley Springer, Carolyn McCormick, Chris Eddleton, David Brown, Declan Bennett, Elizabeth Abate, Jade Synstelien, Jerry Barnard, John Carlton, Michael Cumpsty, Mitu Bushioc, Nellie McKay, Norris Bennett, Philippe Quint, Victoria Chamberlin

Genre: Music, Romance

MPAA Rating: Not available

Official site: downtownexpressfilm.com

Studio: Not available

Sasha is a young Russian violinist on a scholarship to Juilliard,
living with his affectionate but overbearing father, a cellist determined to manage his son’s career. While Sasha prepares for a critical recital that will launch him on a path to a glittering future, he is increasingly drawn to the rhythms he hears on the streets of New York. When he meets Ramona, a bohemian singer/songwriter, he joins her band, and falls in love with her and her music. He begins to lead a double life, careening frantically between two worlds.
Set in the world of Russian immigrants living in New York City, “Downtown Express” uses music to explore the clash of old world values against the lure and excitement of a new country. Under the watch of his loving but overbearing father, virtuoso violinist and Juilliard student Sasha (Grammy nominee Philippe Quint) prepares for a critical recital meant to launch his career. Yet, he is increasingly drawn to the rhythms of the streets of New York, and when he meets singer-songwriter Ramona (acclaimed recording artist Nellie McKay), he joins her band, falls in love, and begins to lead a double life, careening frantically between two worlds. As his classical debut nears, Sasha must decide whether to break with his father and forge his own destiny.
The film stars two acclaimed musicians: Philippe Quint, a world-renowned, classical violinist, and Nellie McKay, a singer-songwriter whose songs, part jazz, part sparkly pop, are noted for their wit and quirky humor. Quint’s role in Downtown Express marks the first time that a classical musician has been featured as the lead in an American