Chop Shop ***
Ramin Bahrani, 2008
US
@ Northwest Film Forum

From the sadly deposed Nathan Lee in the Village Voice:

Ale's pursuit of his dream van and mounting unease over Isa's extracurriculars are never directly confronted, but rather subtly insinuated into their relationship through his vigilant commitment to alternative sources of income. Ten more minutes and Bahrani might have tipped to the maudlin, but Chop Shop resolves its poetry and plot in an abrupt, pitch-perfect non-denouement.

See also: IMDb | Metacritic | Jason Anderson review in CinemaScope