Ray Romano makes his directorial debut with Somewhere in Queens, the story of a construction worker (Romano) who’s emotionally invested in the basketball life of his teenage son "Sticks" (Jacob Ward). Romano’s Leo pushes his son to pursue a college scholarship. He wants to shield the kid from a life working in the family business, a small company operated by Leo’s dad (Tony Lo Bianco) and his instantly dislikable brother (Sebastian Maniscalco). Leo’s wife (Laurie Metcalf) has recovered from breast cancer but lives in fear of its return. The plot hinges on the arrival of Dani (Sadie Stanley), a girl who captures Sticks' heart. Unlike Sticks her interest in a relationship doesn't go beyond sex and affection. Romano, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mark Stegemann, can't entirely avoid cliches in his creation of an Italian family environment (Sunday dinners and parties) and I had trouble buying a major plot twist. Moreover, the movie can feel confused about whether to focus on Sticks or Leo. In its more genial moments, Somewhere in Queens proves likable but its pleasures are limited.
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