With a slate of stars that includes Blake Lively, Orlando Bloom and even Cloris Leachman, the first of several vignettes opens on Bradley “The Hangover” Cooper jumping into a taxi otherwise occupied by somebody else. Moments later, the movie moves onto the subject of street theft, the diamond exchange, Central Park and Grand Central Station – all things New York. All things New Yorkers understand and love. But it’s Ethan Hawke who steals the movie in a sketch about a writer trying to seduce a woman he shares a corner and a smoke with that has us in stitches. BTW this movie thrives on relationships created on streets corners with cigarettes. Apparently all New Yorkers smoke. The various plots move poignantly and tenderly, some dark, some light and some with surprising little twists like the prom at Central Park with the “wheel chair girl.” New York is about everybody coming from someplace else. It’s a melting pot about nothing being as it seems, but everybody at the top of their game – whatever that game is. If you love this, and I did, you’ll also love its sister movie Paris, Je t’aime. A must see feel good New York film sans too much sappy feel good. Three tiaras
