Topside is about a homeless mother and her daughter who are struggling to find shelter after running away from an underground camp. It is a heartrending portrayal of poverty and misery that takes its cue from the majority of the movie being narrated by an innocent child. The child keeps getting into harm’s way, because she usually gets moved around by a mother who does not trust authority figures thus subjecting them to potential exploitation.. Topside was really disturbing; it made me have a heavy heart all through.
The opening scene of Topside occurs on the filthy ground of an abandoned subway tunnel in New York City. Little (Zhaila Farmer) lies beside a ladder leading up to a metal hatch. She waits for her mother Nikki (Celine Held) while watching children’s tablet. They live under the ground in a rundown homeless community. They fetch water from an old pipe using buckets. Nikki recharges her phone together with the tablet at rusty socket outlets. As they both look at their ceiling bedecked with Christmas lights, she sings to her girl child.Little is not enrolled in school which Nikki is rebuked by her friend, John Fatlip, for being so irresponsible enough to allow that happen.She pleads him for help so that she can get one more drug fix.’ He shouts at her reminding her of how come he has his kid inside their house.
Little wanders as Nikki disappears for hours on end at times.He pays attention a little bit but others among the homeless take care of her.John provides food for her.When she eventually returns home he repeats his earlier insults against Nikki.Nikki tells John that if he won’t assist then he should leave.They notice flashlights and hear voices coming down the tunnel.MTA has arrived intending to drive them out.They had been warned several times before.John, seeing Little would expose himself and Nikki tries diverting their attention elsewhere.As people dismantle their camp, they flee by climbing up this ladder into the subway and street above.It’s very bright and noisy for Little.Nikki has no place to go.She is exhausted, going through withdrawal, and makes a foolish choice.
The opening quote of Topside comes from “The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City”. Their subterranean domicile is grimy and dark. They are warm, secure, and have other people who are willing to help them. They move out during winter which turns out to be a cold one; within that instance they become easy prey as well on the unforgiving streets.John takes Nikki to bed in exchange for drugs or money.I was infuriated when he realizes she has a daughter.He says he can make “thousands” with a little girl.These scenes are horrific as they reveal an ugly truth. Such women suffer from homelessness while taking care of children who become their worst nightmare.A terrible tunnel represents the campsite.They were also safe from getting hurt physically outside.
Logan George co-writes and co-directs this movie along with its star Celine Held. That being said, these two filmmakers do not mince matters with regards to their debut feature film.Nikki uses heroin.The child will be taken away if Nikki does not stop using.Little is put at risk because of her mother’s obsessive love.The act of having one’s child underground, out of school and in the company of criminals that abuse them is unacceptable in every sense.We feel sorry for her plight.However she neglected her child thus endangering him or her.Having followed Nicky throughout most part of the movie it can be observed that she really tries to avoid any interaction with law enforcement officers whenever possible.The primary concern here must definitely be preserving Little’s safety.This point is made clear at the end of the film.
Topside is a film that has many contrasts. For instance, the underground scenes are litten dimly and shot from low angles. The intention is to let viewers see the tunnel via Little’s eyes. While on the streets, the camera moves in fits and starts with frequent cuts. Also, there is an abundance of urban clamor. This shows how little he understands while being surrounded by chaos. In Nikki’s perception, this final chapter can be seen through his eyes. Celine Held herself, in front of and behind the camera, is mesmerizing to watch. We experience her fear, despair, and physical exhaustion.
The Topside is an unrelenting cinematic masterwork that got me all choked up as a New Yorker who watched it because I don’t know why it hit me so hard but I felt it was something raw and true about my city- some part of its soul captured on celluloid- and maybe this explains why I was bawling over some stupid fucking little children wandering the streets of Manhattan at night or maybe even just thinking about all those millions wasted each year…This homeless crisis overwhelms us more than any other problem facing our town does… violent junkies with mental illnesses are killing people left right center which means we must jail law breakers or lock them up in madhouses…That they aren’t representative of vast majority amongst them does not make any sense either…. But how can we tolerate such mass vagabondage in a society claiming to be civilized?…. Criminals need to be imprisoned for their crimes! … Lunatics should be confined within asylums! … Shelters for those without homes should be set up alongside ways towards self sufficiency.
Nobody decides on coldness or hunger; no child should ever starve in America – a country that boasts itself as being home to 300 billionaires–how can billions upon billions be wasted annually? Homelessness could end if only we were to allocate resources for this purpose. It is our indifference and grumbling that leave society sorely wanting in this regard. Nikki and Little are people who require assistance. That is the Topside’s brutal reality, the one for people that go unnoticed, walked over, or treated as an annoyance.
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