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If a crime thriller can be described as cute, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is absolutely adorable. Well acted and oddly absorbing, the movie has John Turturro playing a well-meaning thief who gets into real trouble when he steals the wrong bag from the wrong man.
Turturro delivers a fine, understated performance as Harry. Likeable and charming even as he fucks strangers over, Harry is a gentleman and a scumbag who nonetheless has more friends than enemies.
Writer/director Noah Segan makes the most of Turturro and the rest of the cast by finding and latching onto the little moments that, when added together, make something special. There’s nothing groundbreaking about Pickpocket, and yet it works surprisingly well. At only 88 minutes in length, it’s efficiently told and increasingly compelling as the story progresses. The ending, while a little convenient, is satisfying.
What makes Segan’s film stand out is that it is a suitably well done thriller that somehow completely avoids utilizing even a glimmer of darkness. While there is a real threat, and that threat is menacing, Pickpocket’s tone remains softhearted and confident. It’s not an easy feat to pull off, yet Segan does it.
It’s… cute.
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York may not be sensational cinema, but it’s a well-acted, well-made crime drama that defies all expectations.
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.