By John Corrado
Harry Lehman (John Turturro) is the sort of older gentleman who always dresses nicely and takes pride in his profession, which just so happens to be that of a pickpocket.
Turturro’s Harry is the protagonist of writer-director Noah Segan’s very enjoyable The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, with the film’s title, of course, being a cheeky play on the Simon & Garfunkel song “The Only Living Boy in New York.”
Harry uses his carefully honed sleight of hand tricks to lift wallets and watches out of pockets on the subway, keeping the cash and selling any valuables to his pawn shop owner buddy Ben (Steve Buscemi).
Harry views his petty thievery like a lost art, and a means to an end to help support his disabled wife Rose (Karina Arroyave). But he finds himself increasingly out of step with the younger generation, and time finally seems to catch up to him when he lifts the wrong bag from the wrong person. One night, Harry steals a gym bag from Dylan (Will Price), who happens to be the douchebag crypto bro son of a powerful crime family, putting him in possession of a mysterious USB drive. This puts him on the run, with limited time to settle the score.
While The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is ostensibly a crime drama, that harkens back to the character-driven films of the 1970s, Segan’s film also has a surprising sense of poignancy running through it. It works as a tender portrait of someone realizing the world is passing them by, and might no longer have a place for them in it.
The film’s emotion largely comes through thanks to Turturro. The veteran character actor is excellent in the role, bringing a sort of understated charisma to his portrayal of an old school thief. The looks he gives in a few dramatic scenes reveal deeper layers of pathos and regret in his character, and help make Harry a complicated but sympathetic protagonist as the walls close in around him. The cast of familiar faces also includes appearances from Giancarlo Esposito as an aging detective, and Tatiana Maslany, who makes the most of a key dramatic scene.
At just under ninety minutes, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is short and sweet, playing with the efficiency of an old school Woody Allen picture. Segan’s film works as a lovely snapshot of a changing New York, too, with the city being nicely shot by cinematographer Sam Levy, who also memorably and evocatively captured NYC in Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha. It’s topped off with a wonderful jazz score by Gary Lionelli that keeps the picture ticking along, and adds an air of classiness to this highly enjoyable portrait of an aging pickpocket.
Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)
