If there is one sentiment that we have held as an unimpeachable truth for over a quarter of a century, it is that everyone does indeed love Raymond – or rather, the man behind that iconic television show and one of the most beloved comedians of the past few decades. His lovable goofiness, coupled with his working-class charm has made his style of comedy appealing to both sides of the ideological divide, which has positioned him as one of the more interesting comedic voices of his generation. However, in recent years he has refused to rest on his laurels, choosing instead to pursue many different endeavours within the industry, often pushing his boundaries and experimenting with his work in creative and intriguing ways. His most recent effort comes in the form of Somewhere in Queens, which serves to be his directorial debut, something that was seemingly a long time coming, based on his steadily growing curiosity about looking at different aspects of the entertainment industry and contributing to his unique way. The film tells the story of the Russo family, an ordinary working-class clan living in Queens, where they have settled into a comfortable domestic life, from which they don’t see themselves moving away anytime soon, with the exception being their son, who has ambitions to become a world-renowned basketball player, and whose skills on the court certainly match these dreams, but which are unfortunately counterbalanced by the pressure of his family, who perceives his goals in many different ways. An extremely simple premise that is rendered as wonderfully endearing under Romano’s direction, Somewhere in Queens is a truly solid, consistently strong offering from one of our great comedic voices, one that is bitingly funny and deeply heartfelt and proves that Romano is as gifted behind the camera as he is in front of it, which is a wonderful realization.

On the surface, Somewhere in Queens seems like a cinematic version of Everybody Loves Raymond, insofar as it has many similarities – it focuses on a working-class Italian-American family, with their quirks being the foundation of the hilarious tension that drives the story. Ultimately, it is important to note that very few actors-turned-directors are particularly daring when it comes to their debuts since there is an unspoken piece of wisdom that states that one should always attempt to rely on what they know when taking such a risk. Even with decades of experience in comedy, Romano is still a novice when it comes to direction, so mounting his debut was likely a challenging experience, so, logically, he would default to something closer to his style of comedy. This doesn’t at all preclude this film from being exceptional, especially since all the qualities that have made his previous comedic efforts so intriguing are amplified in this film, so much that it feels less like a rehashing of familiar themes, and more like a homecoming for those of us who grew up with his distinctive style of comedy. Family has always been a very important factor in Romano’s humour, so it makes sense that this film would prioritize conversations around familial bonds in different ways – and if anyone was going to take such a simple concept and elevate it to become something truly remarkable, it would be Romano, whose unique comedic voice has endeared him to several people across many generations, his congenial, workman aesthetic and approach to discussing themes as universal as family tensions being embedded in every moment of this film, and explored with so much sincerity and endearing humour. It is quite simply impossible to be taken by this film, even at its most conventional, since it is primarily a celebration of the smallest aspects of life, which are just as important to acknowledge as the major moments, this film going out of its way to find the balance between the two.

What has proven to be quite a fascinating development over the past few years is Romano’s ascent from lovable stand-up comedian to one of our most interesting and vibrant character actors, a transition none of us expected, but which makes perfect sense in hindsight. Once he was able to shed the Ray Barrone persona, he found himself getting work that may have still been defined by some of his inherent qualities as an individual, but which still challenge him to do much more than play a semi-fictionalized version of himself. Whether anchoring beautiful independent films like The Big Sick or Paddleton (the latter of which remains his best work to date) or collaborating with directors like Martin Scorsese on The Irishman, Romano has proven himself to be an incredible actor. He cast himself in one of the two lead roles in Somewhere in Queens, which was probably a very smart decision, considering how the character of Leo Russo has many similarities to the working-class everyman that he played throughout his career, just with additional layers of complexity that he had never explored before. Conversely, Laurie Metcalf is cast in the other lead role, and she is someone whose entire career has been defined by her versatility, and her ability to play a wide range of roles without ever becoming typecast as a particular kind of character, despite radical success in a number of iconic projects. Romano and Metcalf make for a wonderful duo, playing off each other beautifully – and one of the best aspects of this film is how it is centred on characters that would usually be placed in the background, but are here repurposed as the central figures in the story, proving that parts normally reserved for the supporting cast can command the screen with equally impressive results. Jacob Ward and Sadie Stanley are promising young actors that prove themselves to have a lot of potential, while Sebastian Maniscalco and the legendary Tony Lo Bianco have wonderful supporting parts, which makes sense for a film that is very dependent on the entire cast to create a sense of community throughout the story, which is based on the idea of family influencing our lives and being a major part of our development.

One of the more impressive qualities about Somewhere in Queens is how Romano tempers the emotions – this is a very funny film, and his distinctive style of humour is present in absolutely every scene. However, there is more to his intentions as a filmmaker than just making the audience laugh, and there exists a version of this film that is a heavy-handed, clumsy drama that trips over itself as a result of too many overt emotions, since the film is dealing with a few challenging subjects. The argument that many proponents of this film have put forward is that Romano was seeking a way of telling a similar story to what he had done previously, just where there isn’t the burden of providing a continuous stream of laughs or having to adhere to a strict structure that dictates where every joke should be placed. Formulae worked for him on television, but in terms of making a film around these issues, Romano understandably leaps at the opportunity to do something more complex, which entails discussing how he views emotions and assimilates them into the story. The combination of humour and pathos we find throughout Somewhere in Queens is extremely impressive and always quite compelling since it never feels as if it is going for the low-hanging fruit, and there is even an element of the unexpected being woven into the narrative – when we’d expect a touching moment of humanity, the film delivers a callous joke, and in the sequences that we’d expect to be outrageous, there is a sense of profound melancholy. It may not be the most overly complex work, but there is sincerity to how Romano and co-screenwriter Mark Stegemann handle the material that proves to be quite meaningful, preventing it from being seen as a comedy that is void of any emotional complexity. Arguably there are a few moments where it does feel somewhat too intense, and it does follow certain narrative beats, but there is something much deeper to this film that is worth acknowledging, which is a major credit to Romano and his team, who spend a lot of time carefully honing this story to be reflective of several deeper and more complex themes.

Somewhere in Queens may not be a particularly groundbreaking film, but there is always merit in a story that trades inventiveness for consistency, especially when dealing with a subject like family, which usually works best when delivered on the most simple, forthright terms. Romano implicity understands this, and makes sure to use every moment of this film to reflect on these ideas, which are carefully woven into the narrative in a way that feels genuine and meaningful, but without losing the spark of comedic charm that propels it forward and makes it such an endearing, captivating work of contemporary storytelling. It examines very familiar themes, and even if the cultural specificity may not appeal to every viewer who is not of Italian-American extraction, there are certain universal concepts embedded in this film that are worth discussing, even if only in terms of the incidental qualities that keep it moving. There are a few bold swings taken with this film, but these are not particularly notable and instead exist to add nuance to a very straightforward narrative. There’s nothing about this film that stands out as all that unique, but there is a genuine sense of heartfulness that keeps it moving, which is becoming increasingly rare to find in modern cinema, where high-concept storytelling has replaced the art of the simple, charming independent comedy, which this film seems to be actively trying to remedy. It’s not the most audacious debut for Romano, and we have to wonder whether he will pursue another directorial project, or if this was his sole effort to helm a film – but his wonderful approach to bringing this story to life, coupled with his sincere appreciation for the material and the themes that accompany it are all wonderful, and assist immensely in making Somewhere in Queens a truly delightful film, one with an abundance of heart and even more eccentric humour, proving the virtue of a simple story being told well.