After having just watched Prince of Broadway, it's official. I have a massive man crush on Sean Baker. I've never met the guy, but with this year's one-two punch of Take Out and Prince of Broadway, Baker has established himself as the definitive True Master of no-budget American narrative cinema. Baker is using modern technology in a way that few narrative filmmakers are. As someone who has a major chip on his shoulder with regards to the celluloid vs. video debate, these films shock me, for both of them use digital video better than almost any narrative film I've ever seen. For once, I feel like these stories are even more affecting for having been shot on video. I can't remember ever thinking that before. Sean Baker isn't some dude with a video camera making no-budget festival-ready pseudo-features. He is producing universally edutaining achievements that reflect the complicated social, racial, and economic dynamics of our modern world.

Read Michael Lerman's review of Prince of Broadway over at Hammer to Nail, then re-read my review of Take Out.

See these films as soon as you possibly can! Hopefully, with Baker's Los Angeles Film Festival cash prize, he will continue on his path to becoming one of our generation's most vital cinematic voices. He's already just about there.