Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK [Berlinale - Berlin, Germany]
The aspect of seeing a New York film in Berlin is not an undue presence but one that is surprising venue versus other spaces to premiere. Nonetheless any independent film that places John Turturro on that canvas with a modicum of humor and stakes has pertinence and relevance. Directed with a steady hand by Noah Sagen, an actor himself, the film feels like a throwback, simple in its tendencies but easy to digest. "The Only Living Pickpocket In New York" [Berlinale Special Gala] has the intention of a concept film but more is a chance to watch Turturro walk around his beloved New York and be more like himself interacting with actors he likes. He is not hidden behind any prosthetic or costume. He plays a wounded but proud man named Harry living his life, talking care of his comatose wife and doing the only thing is any good at: being a pickpocket until he steals from the wrong guy. With the intelligence Turturro always shows in his roles, the viewer could obviously think the character could have accomplished more but life is unusual in that way. The beautiful aspect is those quiet moments of simple acting that resound with the viewer the longer the film plays. Giancarlo Esposito as a soon to be retired cop on the subway, giving Harry a bot of crap but you know there is a history. It feels lived in. Turturro's brief but exceptional scene with Tatiana Maslany as his daughter is breathtaking in how effortless a simple porch conversation at a door can be when done right and the stakes are set beforehand. The set up of what leads Harry on the day to make his travels from The Bronx to Chinatown to Queens is a bit banal but helps set the stage for creating these scenes, one right after another.
Steve Buscemi is a pawn shop owner and just watching the two of the them quip over a counter about stolen goods is fun to watch because of their history. The film in that way is a throwback to the great 90s indies that these two were a part of. Even a Chinatown reseller that figures into the plot has his own unique signature details and performance. Sagen, despite the set up, really gets how to write these characters. Even if there was a little improv, it still is impressive because the voice feels stylized and yet right. Will Price as Dylan is the one who sets the idea of the film in motion but his character is little more than a plot ploy despite everything going on around him. The underlying humor is what keeps the film afloat though because it never falls into melodrama. The only absolute happens towards the end which seems a little finite but the play that happens into it is great, though not as beautiful as one would think. And yet it is a great scene and the fact that Sagen was able to get this collection of actors together for a small film is no small feat. The title is apropos but doesn't quite capture what the film is since one has to see the moments within the whole to understand the film's dexterity and merit. This is due in no small part to Turturro who, as a director himself, knows what it takes and what needs to be given. "The Only Living Pickpocket In New York" is not perfect but it is a small gem of a movie with some great acting moments at its core, not forced but simply allowed to be. B+
By Tim Wassberg
