Director Joe Burke’s Burt wonders what happens when a man’s long-unknown son appears out of nowhere. This sudden shot at fatherhood quickly becomes a test of love, trust, and loyalty.
Our protagonist, Burt (Burt Berger), is a 69-year-old Los Angeles busker living with Parkinson’s who shares a home with his cranky landlord/roommate, Steve (Steven Levy). One day, Burt is visited by Sammy (Oliver Cooper), a seeming stranger from New York, who tracked down Burt to drop a bombshell: Burt is his father. Sammy says Burt’s ex Patty Green is his mother and claims he’s come to meet the dad he never had…and maybe something else.
Burt, who’s always wanted to be a father, invites Sammy to stay for the weekend, and the two attempt to build a relationship. The suspicious Steve immediately senses trouble and keeps a close eye on Sammy, convinced the guy is running some kind of angle. Burt brings Sammy into his everyday grind of music, conversation, and awkward exchanges with Steve. The relationship between father and son suddenly changes once Burt mentions he has some inheritance money tucked away.
This is when we meet Sylvia (Catlin Adams), Sammy’s “aunt” and Burt’s scorned lover, who coerces Sammy into getting hold of Burt’s inheritance. With Steve applying pressure from one side and Sylvia from the other, Sammy is forced to decide what allegiance he has toward Burt.
Sammy (Oliver Cooper), Burt (Burt Berger), and Steve (Steven Levy) walk together outside in Joe Burke’s Burt (2025).
“The relationship between father and son suddenly changes once Burt mentions he has some inheritance money tucked away.”
At its core, Burt is a showcase for accidental actor Burt Berger, a Los Angeles street musician whom Joe Burke and Oliver Cooper discovered busking on a lazy afternoon. They got to know Burt, saw his natural charm and charisma, and realized they could build an entire movie around him and his real-life roommate, Steven Levy. Burt and Steve do not need big speeches, expensive sets, or Hollywood movie magic. Just put the camera on them and let them go.
Burt and Levy also have a natural gift for improvisation. They listen to what is being said, understand where the scene needs to go, and respond in ways that are unique to them. These are the fundamentals of improv, yet neither man comes across as trying to perform improv. Oliver Cooper, who has been at this game for a long time, provides the steady foundation for Burt’s performance. He knows when to push, when to pull back, and when to simply let Burt take over the scene. Cooper becomes the perfect foil, allowing Burt and Steve to remain unpredictable without letting the film fly completely off the rails.
Ultimately, audiences are going to watch Burt because of Burt and Steve, but mostly because of Burt and who he is as a human being. There are twists involving Sammy’s claim that he is Burt’s long-lost son, along with a few things happening behind the scenes that are better left unspoiled. Yet the heart of the film is the relationship forming between Burt and Sammy. This is the epitome of what independent filmmaking can do. It takes risks, sees potential in people most studios would never notice, and turns that potential into art. The movie may have technical flaws, but its honesty, warmth, and personality make those flaws almost impossible to care about. In my mind, Burt comes across as flawless.
"…In my mind, Burt comes across as flawless."
