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"This wistful story is best when it leans on these people being people: hurt, broken, and imperfect." - Roger EbertAnchored by an all-too-rare lead performance from John Turturro, the latest from writer-director Noah Segan (Blood Relatives) combines low-key crime drama with a meditation on changing times. Buoyed by a stellar supporting cast that features Turturro’s fellow independent film legends Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito — not to mention Canada’s own Tatiana Maslany (TIFF ’18’s Destroyer) — The Only Living Pickpocket in New York harkens back to the character-driven films of 1970s New Hollywood, while showcasing the titular metropolis in all its alluring complexity.
A craftsman pickpocket from the old school, Harry (Turturro) adheres to a routine, operates alone, and doesn’t own a smartphone. He works mainly on public transport, sells his spoils to his pawnbroker pal Ben (Buscemi, also at this year’s Festival in Wild Horse Nine), and goes home to his Bronx apartment every night to look after his ailing spouse. But hubris gets the best of Harry: he winds up stealing from Dylan (Will Price, TIFF ’25’s Eleanor the Great), the insufferable scion of a connected crime family, and must traverse the city in an attempt to crawl out of a potentially deadly bind before the day is through.
Segan adroitly revamps a familiar story with attention to detail, affection for every last character, and a critical view of modern life. At the film’s heart is Turturro, who never shies away from exposing Harry’s questionable ethics, yet cannot help but render him a natural charmer. - Tiff
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