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‘The Only Living Pickpocket in New York’ movie review: A slick and surprisingly sensitive con artist story
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is an old-fashioned thriller that serves as both an entertaining crime story and a career retrospective for actor John Turturro. The film explores themes of aging, obsolescence and personal reckoning through Harry Lehman, an aging Brooklyn pickpocket who becomes embroiled in dangerous circumstances when he steals an SD card of significant criminal value, forcing him to confront his life choices and responsibilities to his family.
Harry's theft of the card from a young man connected to an organised crime family sets off a chain of events that threatens his wife and disrupts his carefully maintained routine. The film is anchored by strong ensemble performances, particularly from Turturro and Steve Buscemi as his fence Ben, with standout appearances from Giancarlo Esposito as a sympathetic police officer, though some supporting roles—notably Jamie Lee Curtis and Aida Turturro—feel unnecessarily theatrical and undermine the film's grounded sensibility.
In short
- John Turturro leads a character-driven crime thriller about an aging Brooklyn pickpocket facing obsolescence
- A stolen SD card sparks conflict with organised crime, forcing personal reckoning
- Strong ensemble cast elevates the grounded story, though some casting feels gratuitously star-powered
Explained simply
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is a crime thriller about Harry Lehman, an aging pickpocket in Brooklyn. The story centres on Harry stealing an SD card of significant criminal value from a young man connected to organised crime.
This theft sets in motion a dangerous chain of events that threatens Harry's wife and disrupts his established routine. The film uses the crime story to explore themes of aging, obsolescence and personal reckoning—how people confront their life choices and responsibilities.
The film stars John Turturro in the lead role, marking a form of career retrospective for the actor. The cast also includes Steve Buscemi as Harry's criminal contact Ben and Giancarlo Esposito as a police officer.
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