Review: The Only Living Pickpocket In New York

Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

"The Only Living Pickpocket in New York" is a throwback to a particular type of character-driven New York City-based drama that was plentiful on screens in the 1970s, but what makes it unique is that it is also an outer boroughs movie, which is more of a rare thing.

John Turturro, in a rare lead role, plays Harry Lehman, an aging thief who despite his life of crime really isn't such a bad guy. He's a doting husband to his mute, disabled wife, with whom he lives in a Bronx apartment. He drops off his stolen goods to Ben (Steve Buscemi), an old pal who runs a pawn shop and they have pleasant conversations. 

On the subway, he runs into a detective (Giancarlo Esposito) who probably arrested him a few times in the old days, and they laugh at each other's jokes and discuss "Moby Dick." In other words, Harry is not a hardened criminal.

But one of his jobs lands him in over his head. He steals from the car of an arrogant and unpleasant young man (Will Price), not knowing he's the scion of a mafia family, and quickly finds himself in a pickle. Dylan (Price) tells Harry that he has to retrieve a USB that he ditched after stealing from the young man's car, and that he and his goons will wait at Harry's house with his wife until he returns.

Although not nearly as grim or intense, the film feels a bit like "Uncut Gems," in which a crook has a short window of time to set things right, and much of the picture finds Harry on the run throughout New York City trying to find the USB. There's a brief stop in Manhattan, but much of the picture plays out in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

Turturro, always great, is especially good here as the weary thief whose journey through four of the five boroughs also acts as a reminder of his regrets (there's a visit with the daughter to whom he was barely a father). The supporting cast is also great, including Buscemi as the (mostly) loyal friend and Esposito as the cop who clearly has affection for the man whom he probably busted more than a few times back in the day. There's also a surprise cameo late in the film when Harry has to meet with the mafia family's leader.

This is a small gem of a movie and the type we don't see so often anymore. Much like the recent "Late Fame" with Willem Dafoe (also highly recommended), this is a smaller New York story that is character-centric and does a great job of capturing a certain way of life and milieu. There are a number of high-profile, critically acclaimed movies coming out soon, and I hope this one doesn't get lost in the shuffle.