Bought & Sold

This thoughtful film appeared on cable television under the title "Jersey Tale," and the real star of the show is the writer-director Michael Tolajian.

The story is a compelling coming-of-age tale about a young man facing the pressures of adulthood. The performance of Rafael Sardina as the central character Ray hit all the right notes with occasional moments of humor, as well as emotional nuances.

While Ray's character is working out issues related to love in his relationships with two young women, it is his developing association with the pawnbroker named Kutty Nazarian (David Marguiles) that is rich in its layers of dramatic expression. Kutty becomes both a friend and father figure to Ray. At the same time, Ray is coming into his own as a young man who might offer a lesson or two to Kutty.

Writer-director Tolajian provided crisp dialogue, and the pacing of the film was superb. The producers of big-budget films would be well advised to study "Bought and Sold" as an example of a lovely slice of life and film-making at its best!