From Deseret News archives:
Sidewalks of New York
Film review
Actor/filmmaker Burns flopped with his follow-up films "She's the One" and "No Looking Back" (the latter being a film that went unseen perhaps deservedly by the vast majority of movie audiences).
Burns' newest, a romantic comedy-drama and valentine to his current home, may not be great art, but at least it's a step in the right direction.
"Sidewalks of New York" is funny when it has to be, and it's surprisingly perceptive at other times. Also, more than any of his other films, this one may remind some of the early works of Woody Allen those created when Allen was still ruminating about matters of love, sex, marriage and infidelity.
The film centers on the love lives of several New Yorkers, including TV producer Tommy Reilly (Burns). He's just been kicked out by his girlfriend, and his friends are telling him to re-enter the dating scene. So he begins courting Maria (Rosario Dawson), a schoolteacher who is reluctant to commit after a failed teenage marriage.
Griffin's wife, Annie (Graham, deftly assuming the Diane Keaton role), suspects that her husband is cheating on her, but she's reluctant to even discuss divorce, after seeing the toll it took on her own parents.
The transition here from comedy to drama is a little forced, and the gimmick of mock Man-On-The-Street interviews sometimes detracts from the story lines.
But from top to bottom, the performances are all pretty solid, especially stars-on-the-rise Murphy, who's really coming into her own as an actress, and Dawson, who perhaps doesn't get quite as much screen time as her character deserves.
Nearly as good is the supporting cast, including the perfectly slimy Tucci, and Dennis Farina, playing Tommy's co-worker and temporary roommate, who gives him errant but funny advice on romantic matters.
"Sidewalks of New York" is rated R for crude, sometimes explicit sex talk and use of vulgar sexual slang terms, occasional use of strong profanity, and brief simulated sex (mostly done for laughs). Running time: 100 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com
Comments
Cast: Ed Burns, Rosario Dawson, Heather Graham, Brittany Murphy
Find a Movie Theater
- Charities costing U.S. billions 9:57 p.m.
- Flu is nightmare for pork producers 9:56 p.m.
- Raids displease both sides 9:56 p.m.
- Peace prize comes at tricky time 9:55 p.m.
- Obama to promote job-creation ideas 9:55 p.m.
- Birthdays for Sunday, Dec. 6 9:52 p.m.
- Ailing Thai king calls for peace 9:52 p.m.
- Underwood sings praises of shows 9:50 p.m.
- Everyone wins in rival food drive 9:44 p.m.
- Potential devastation in Centerville? 9:43 p.m.
- Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?
306 - Letters: Liberal because LDS
246 - 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
189 - Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
188 - Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
185 - Aggies shoot past Cougars
179 - N.Y. Senate rejects gay marriage
128 - Unbeaten BYU takes trip to Logan
105 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
104 - Harpring's NBA career is over
94
I have worked as an in-home care provider and the government doesn't pay a...
Thanks for that. Now my friend who is a member of that church may look more...
As far as I am concerned, BYU has demonstrated that it is no better than any...
Again our legislature passed a law which was unconstitutional and now State...
Okay, Minnesota was getting into the paint all night and our biggest interior...
Nobody - not one - has ever said they will not vote for Mitt Romney because...
Everyone has went wild over the Jazz and their last 5 games. But who did they...
Ha Ha!!!
"utah storms the field after every single game they win." Not true....
i'd rather see them beat michigan and OU coming up.




You can be the first to comment on this story.