The Only Living Boy in New York

As a devoted Simon & Garfunkel fan, 'The Only Living Boy In New York' immediately piqued my interest, and it doesn't disappoint in its exploration of themes reminiscent of 'The Graduate.' Much like the classic film, it skillfully navigates the complex terrain of love, generational conflict, and infidelity. While there may not be as many Simon & Garfunkel songs in the soundtrack, the inclusion of their cover of Jackson C. Frank's 'Blues Run The Game' set the scene for a pleasant 90 minutes of viewing.

Callum Turner, Kate Beckinsale, Pierce Brosnan, and Jeff Bridges deliver outstanding performances in a movie with a strong script and well-developed characters.

The relationship between the young man Thomas, and his father's mistress, Johanna, is intriguing and adds a layer of complexity to the story.

This film can be aptly described as a black comedy, where humor is subtle and not in-your-face. It doesn't rely on laugh-out-loud lines but rather on its warmhearted and amusing portrayal of its characters and their predicaments. It captures the essence of New York City's charm and chaos, much like the iconic duo's music did in their time.

'The Only Living Boy In New York' is a heartfelt exploration of love, betrayal, and self-discovery set against the stunning backdrop of New York City. With subtle humor, compelling performances, and an intriguing storyline, this character-driven film well worth viewing for those who appreciate a well told humous tale.

I really loved watching this movie that is a combination of superb direction, nice storyline, and excellent piece of acting by all the actors. A must watch drama with a certain element of truth in it.

This is a unique little movie and has very limited appeal...of which I am part of the limit...hence the 8 out of 10. Its content is similar to both The Squid and the Whale (although not as richly realized) as well as The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (but less self-conscious). Without relying on period pop music, it manages to capture a very specific moment in New York City...back when living in the lower east side was considered radical and right before the Internet and mobile and 9/11 changed everything. At least that is the way it felt. There is more contemporary technology evident...but it felt added on. The story follows a handful of characters, none of whom are particularly sympathetic and all of whom occupy rarefied terrain, either via their education, career, creativity, or family name. Callum Turner-in the lead- had the most clearly drawn role and made the character endearing and not arrogant. He is interesting physically, too...at times looking like Keith Gordon, at others like Richard Gere. Other pluses: its running time is under 90 minutes and it uses some exceptional New York City locations (such as the Brooklyn Museum and the Oyster Bar). Finally, this is really a movie about fathers and sons (and mentors)-a very under-mined topic in film.

The not so good news? The aforementioned time stamp issues...when does this film take place? There are clues but they do not add up under scrutiny. Or is it supposed to take place within the "idea" of a different era? I don't know but they should have gone full late 80s/early 90s period piece. More importantly, the characters are too broadly drawn...and the actors work with what they have. Brosnan, Nixon, Bridges, Clemons, and Beckinsale all do their best with the material they have, rarely share scenes together, and all seem to be unclear as to whether they are in a comedy or a drama. Meanwhile, it occupies some space in between comedy and drama... It's a small movie that has some very big cinematic moments, largely due to the exquisite cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh: a Londoner who clearly loves New York City.

GREAT movie. Admittedly it starts just a little slow but is still very interesting to watch. It then picks up and only gets more and more interesting. It's very poetic and even days after you've watched, it stays with you. It is not for the closed minded or for people who only like fast moving action or typical romance movies. It has different outcomes than you'd expect and every bit along the way is very genuine and very well acted by everyone in it! It is very real life and warm while also heart-breaking and lovely. It is full of depth in each and every single character! I watch this over a weel ago and it just keeps popping into my thoughts. Highly recommend it!

Thomas Webb (Turner) is a spoiled rich millennial who is trying to figure out what to do with his life after college. While searching for life answers around mysterious neighbor (Bridges), he learns that his father (Brosnan) is cheating on his mother (Nixon) with his assistant (Beckinsale). "The Only Living Boy in New York" is a movie full of characters you would walk away from at a cocktail party, engaging in the flattest brand of smart banter imaginable. Turner is a very irritating person as Thomas, while film's main draw should be Bridges. He's a phenomenal actor, but his roles get too cliche, wasted and reduced to portraying a stereotypical cigar-toting old man who has a thing or two to tell the young ones. Brosnan is a surprising standout, his burst of anger and subsequent sadness during one pivotal scene conveying more years of back story in mere minutes. "The Only Living Boy in New York" have fantastic cast, looks good, but it's not particularly distinctive because it was playing safe in the end when It could be a little more daring and dangerous. In general, it is definitely an odd story with a twist, but I did enjoyed (most of) it. 7+/8- out of 10.