This film is quiet and intriguing with New York city vibes written all over it. There is smooth jazz that plays at the start of the film. It is centered around stealing and making profits, while also navigating a life-challenging scenario. The film is genuine. The Only Living Pickpocket is different than what I am used to with a setting in New York. I usually expect to see something with a lot of crime and suspense—those two elements are in the film, just presented so silently. Written and directed by Noah Segan, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is one-of-a-kind.
The film’s main character is Harry, played by John Turturro. He is someone that has many ways of stealing things and selling them. He does this by watching the moves of everyone around him. His motivation in doing this is to help him be able to care for his dying wife, Rosie, played by Karina Arroyave. However, he steals an item from a young punk named Dylan, played by Wil Price, and this particular theft scenario goes awry. For Harry, it becomes a life-and-death situation. If he does not retrieve the missing item to give back to Dylan, his wife will be in danger.
I love how the film presents negative deeds in the context of normalcy. Harry goes down to a pawnshop regularly. The man running the shop is Ben, played by Steve Buscemi. They negotiate values, worths, expenses, and many aspects of what items can be sold for. Harry needs to extract the highest value possible from every item. At the same time though, his timing becomes limited as the life of his wife remains in balance due to one of his pickpocketing schemes.
As Harry runs through the streets of the city, the film is highly cinematic with New York moments. I truly value the depths of the subway systems, the moments of people watching, the hustle of a busy day–all scenes that convey times for a perfect pickpocket mission. It can be one of success or one of failure, but regardless, there is bound to be an intriguing outcome. There are moments when Harry questions his choices. They come around a lot when his wife is in peril, with the punk attitude of Dylan playing into that as well.
Although truly surreal in its approach, I will say The Only Pickpocket Living in New York is a moderate classic. The writing is a bit rushed. The premise though is worthy of a masterclass that could have had more to it. Overall, I found myself in a spellbound throughout most of the film. Turturro and Buscemi deliver performances that are mind-boggling. They both convey underworld New Yorker attitudes of greed and wonders. Turturro though, steals the film. The Only Pickpocket Living in New York had me sold for a majority of the eighty-eight minuteduration. Three out of four stars.
