PHOTOGENIC: But not enough. Maybe a Black director would have realized the importance of the character, situation and message that will be left. PHOTO COURTESY OF TIFF

It’s an immigrant’s story. Specific to Italy, but universal in scope.

Iranian-born director/screenwriter Milad Tangshir and co-writers Giaime Alonge and Daniele Gaglianone, tell a simple tale about the immigrant experience. They’re better at building the foundation than completing the project in a way that would make it memorable.

Issa (Ibrahima Sambou), a twentysomething Senegalese immigrant, was lucky to find a job in Turin, where opportunities for the undocumented are scarce. So, the day he loses his job it’s a shock and blow. Luckily his more established friend Mario (Moussa Dicko Diango) saves him, or his survival would be in question. Instead, using Mario’s ID, he gets a job as a food-delivery guy. With his last dollars and borrowed money he buys a bike. It’s his work vehicle, means of transportation and the chariot he uses to carry his new love interest (Success Edemakhiota) around. Now he’s a mini entrepreneur. That job comes with responsibilities and a need for good judgement. He lacks that, and so his dreams and ambitions derail.

The very simple story, which is sparse in characters, subplots and a complete vision, puts a face on the migrants who bike around, going door to door delivering goods and earning a living. For some, it’s the first rung on the ladder to success. Each aspirant has a back story. A life and ambition. Tangshir sets that stage and films the proceedings in a simple but involving way. He and cinematographer Giuseppe Maio have a strong sense for lighting, composition, color and framing. They display talent that is far greater than this small indie movie. A production accentuated by simple sets (production designer Leonie Heys-Cerchio) and worn clothes (costume designer Silvia Nebiolo) that contribute to their cinema verité approach. Everything looks so stark, casual and real it’s as if someone offhandedly shot the whole film on a smartphone.

The actors don’t have other credits, leading one to believe that their natural performances are just that. Natural. The script heaves problems on Issa that are unabating. Easy to feel his pain as good fortune abandons him, doors shut, opportunities fade and bad choices mount. Once the audience gets hooked into Issa it’s hard to let go. But his behavior, lack of character and inability to be responsible for his faults make him less and less endearing. Some of this bad luck is the character being foolish. Some is karma. Great movies don’t always end on a happy note. Yet here, if bleakness is all Tahir has in his trick bag, it’s not enough.

Sambou is photogenic. He’s surprisingly compelling and makes the best of this opportunity. Pity the script doesn’t do justice to his character. Italian film-maker Matteo Garrone did better with an immigrant’s story in his perfectly written, developed and directed film “Io Capitano.” His Oscar-nominated drama created a full migrant character, one so vibrant it gave its lead actor, Seydou Starr, a chance to blossom. Sambou and his Issa character deserved that same treatment. It makes you question whether a filmmaker of African descent would have made these same choices.

Maybe a Black director would have realized the importance of the character, situation and message that will be left behind.

This micro story hits a dead end. Comparisons may be made to Victoria De Sica’s 1948 classic “Bicycle Thieves.” But the two films differ. That 1948 gem wowed critics and left a legacy. This 2024 knockoff never realized that kind of potential.