The Only Living Pickpocket in New York
by George Wolf
If you remember that seventies disco chestnut “Native New Yorker,” you’ll get an extra kick out of the first few minutes of The Last Pickpocket in New York, a delightful mash note to the Big Apple and a wonderfully engaging vehicle for John Turturro.
Turturro’s Harry cues up the vinyl and dances for his wife, Rosie (Karina Arroyave), who is bedridden and catatonic. He cares for her sweetly, showing a tender side that seems at odds with his chosen profession as a pickpocket.
Harry is quite good at his job, taking cash from wallets and fencing watches and other valuables at his buddy Ben’s (Steve Buscemi) corner pawnshop. Even a kindred spirit detective (Giancarlo Esposito) does Harry a solid now and then. But after snatching a duffle bag from the car of a young dumbass named Dylan (Will Price), Harry’s analog ways catch up to him.
Dumbass Dylan is part of a local crime family, and there was something very valuable in the bag that Harry threw away moments after pocketing a fat wad of cash he found inside. Easily tracking Harry down from city surveillance cameras, Dylan and his crew let Harry know that his wife’s wellbeing depends on the return of what he tossed aside.
Harry is still a bit haunted by some other things he’s left behind in life, and Turturro clearly relishes the chance to dig into the character. Yes, we’ve seen an aging man grapple with regret and possible redemption countless times now, but Turturro finds an identity, and a humanity in Harry that gets under our skin and captivates in every frame. He make us root for Harry despite some things we learn on his quest through the boroughs, and writer/director Noah Segan (Blood Relatives, Scare Package) adds a layer of caper for extra fun.
Segan’s first non-horror feature casts his native NYC as Turturro’s leading lady, and the city’s pulse is evident throughout every subway ride, diner visit and needle drop. Even minor characters are shaped through organic, lived in dialog, and by Act Three, Segan’s skill at reframing the familiar is on full display, along with a chemistry-filled cameo from a recent Oscar winner.
And speaking of…expect to hear Turturro’s name plenty this award season. He deserves it. Even if Harry’s story is number eight million and one in the naked city, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York makes it worth sharing,
