by Josh Sewell
John Turturro has been one of the film industry’s most talented and dependable character actors for decades. He’s someone viewers can always count on to deliver a memorable performance whether the movie or television series around him is good or not. However, even though he can be a great leading man (see Barton Fink, The Night Of, etc.), he hasn’t gotten many high-profile opportunities over the last 40 years.
Thankfully, writer-director Noah Segan’s new drama The Only Living Pickpocket in New York provides Turturro with one of the best roles of his career. It’s a staggeringly brilliant performance that deserves to launch him into the Best Actor conversation as awards season heats up.
He plays Harry Lehman, an aging New York City pickpocket who is struggling in a modern world where nobody uses cash. Credit cards are worthless to guys like him since they can be easily tracked and canceled, expensive phones are password protected, and nice watches are an endangered species.
Still, he does what he can to make ends meet as he cares for his disabled wife, Rosie (Karina Arroyave). That gets complicated after he robs a spoiled rich kid (Will Price) who turns out to be the hotheaded scion of a dangerous crime family. Now Harry must track down and return a valuable USB drive before he faces violent consequences.
Turturro is in practically every scene of The Only Living Pickpocket in New York and it’s clear he relishes the opportunity to play such a fascinating, complex character. Harry is not the greatest guy – as evidenced by his profession and his rocky relationship with his daughter – but he still lives by a code and expects the people he associates with to do the same.
Later in the film, when he realizes where his choices have brought him, Harry doesn’t cry, plead or try to talk his way out of his predicament. He accepts the situation because that’s how it goes, and he responds accordingly. He’s downright respectable in that regard. Turturro doesn’t go for a lot of showy, over the top moments. Instead, aside from a couple of notable exceptions, he conveys his character’s rapidly changing mental and emotional state through subtle changes in body language and facial expressions.
Segan surrounds his star with equally phenomenal character actors who all get a chance to shine, even if they don’t get much screen time. The film is a world class collection of recognizable faces that make viewers say, “hey, it’s that guy!” The most prominent example is Giancarlo Esposito, who plays a longtime detective acquaintance of Harry. What’s more, his scenes with Turturro serve as a poignant reunion for movie nerds.
Seeing these two hangdog actors sitting together in a subway car is a welcome remember they also worked together in Spike Lee’s 1989 masterpiece Do the Right Thing. It’s one of the greatest films ever made and the actors’ work here helps explain why.
Turturro also has great moments with Steve Buscemi, Rob Brown and Tatiana Maslaney, who plays Harry’s estranged daughter in a brief but crucial scene. There’s also a stunning cameo from an Oscar-winning actress I wouldn’t dream of spoiling, but it makes the film’s conclusion incredibly powerful.
Segan performs a minor miracle in making this love letter to New York City feel like it was shot there in the 1970s. There are certain moments that feel right out of NYC classics like Taxi Driver, Dog Day Afternoon and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. The filmmaker gets a big assist from Sam Levy’s cinematography and a wonderful jazz-infused score by composer Gary Lionelli.
I’m bummed that a wonderful film like The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is playing in such a small number of theaters, especially on a weekend when there are no major releases opening. This is a perfect opportunity for small dramas to catch audiences’ attention, but Sony Pictures Classics doesn’t seem to be taking advantage of it.
Nevertheless, I can’t recommend Segan’s terrific movie enough. It’s one of the year’s best; even if you have to drive a little farther than you’d like, it’s worth the trip.
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is rated R for language. Opens in select theaters on October 30.
Grade: A
Thankfully, writer-director Noah Segan’s new drama The Only Living Pickpocket in New York provides Turturro with one of the best roles of his career. It’s a staggeringly brilliant performance that deserves to launch him into the Best Actor conversation as awards season heats up.
He plays Harry Lehman, an aging New York City pickpocket who is struggling in a modern world where nobody uses cash. Credit cards are worthless to guys like him since they can be easily tracked and canceled, expensive phones are password protected, and nice watches are an endangered species.
Still, he does what he can to make ends meet as he cares for his disabled wife, Rosie (Karina Arroyave). That gets complicated after he robs a spoiled rich kid (Will Price) who turns out to be the hotheaded scion of a dangerous crime family. Now Harry must track down and return a valuable USB drive before he faces violent consequences.
Turturro is in practically every scene of The Only Living Pickpocket in New York and it’s clear he relishes the opportunity to play such a fascinating, complex character. Harry is not the greatest guy – as evidenced by his profession and his rocky relationship with his daughter – but he still lives by a code and expects the people he associates with to do the same.
Later in the film, when he realizes where his choices have brought him, Harry doesn’t cry, plead or try to talk his way out of his predicament. He accepts the situation because that’s how it goes, and he responds accordingly. He’s downright respectable in that regard. Turturro doesn’t go for a lot of showy, over the top moments. Instead, aside from a couple of notable exceptions, he conveys his character’s rapidly changing mental and emotional state through subtle changes in body language and facial expressions.
Segan surrounds his star with equally phenomenal character actors who all get a chance to shine, even if they don’t get much screen time. The film is a world class collection of recognizable faces that make viewers say, “hey, it’s that guy!” The most prominent example is Giancarlo Esposito, who plays a longtime detective acquaintance of Harry. What’s more, his scenes with Turturro serve as a poignant reunion for movie nerds.
Seeing these two hangdog actors sitting together in a subway car is a welcome remember they also worked together in Spike Lee’s 1989 masterpiece Do the Right Thing. It’s one of the greatest films ever made and the actors’ work here helps explain why.
Turturro also has great moments with Steve Buscemi, Rob Brown and Tatiana Maslaney, who plays Harry’s estranged daughter in a brief but crucial scene. There’s also a stunning cameo from an Oscar-winning actress I wouldn’t dream of spoiling, but it makes the film’s conclusion incredibly powerful.
Segan performs a minor miracle in making this love letter to New York City feel like it was shot there in the 1970s. There are certain moments that feel right out of NYC classics like Taxi Driver, Dog Day Afternoon and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. The filmmaker gets a big assist from Sam Levy’s cinematography and a wonderful jazz-infused score by composer Gary Lionelli.
I’m bummed that a wonderful film like The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is playing in such a small number of theaters, especially on a weekend when there are no major releases opening. This is a perfect opportunity for small dramas to catch audiences’ attention, but Sony Pictures Classics doesn’t seem to be taking advantage of it.
Nevertheless, I can’t recommend Segan’s terrific movie enough. It’s one of the year’s best; even if you have to drive a little farther than you’d like, it’s worth the trip.
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is rated R for language. Opens in select theaters on October 30.
Grade: A
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
Comments
Post a Comment