Why am I breaking a list of 20 into 9 and 11? Oh come on…
Considering its black and white palette, and our at-a-dead-end heroine, Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha is one of the most comforting New York movies around. I watch it and want to be lounging about with Frances, hoping I know my future is assured, leaping about the streets to David Bowie’s Modern Love, pulling all manner of quirky faces. In many ways a perfect movie, the light-hearted tone and narration only add to the film’s utter charm.
Two very young men make their film debuts with Who’s That Knocking at My Door – Harvey Keitel stars in his first role as an actor, and Martin Scorsese directorial starter. In many ways the drama acts as a kind of blueprint for the director’s future ventures (Mean Streets, even Goodfellas in parts), with the social gallivanting around the streets of New York. Though this does fall heavier on actual human relations rather than violence, and works perfectly well in that vain.
Although predominantly shot in the UK, Eyes Wide Shut was set in New York – and made to look so. Often described as an erotic thriller, Stanley Kubrick’s final film for me is much more of a fascinatingly drawn out and tense affair – though certainly sexually-fueled from all kinds of perspectives. At times like a dripping tap in terms of building suspense and intrigue, Kubrick famously broke records for the lingering shoot. Perhaps fatigue shows effectively on-screen with Tom Cruise, who appears in pretty much every scene.
New York City became the city of love again with the Nora Ephron-penned, Rob Reiner-helmed, simply marvelous comedy When Harry Met Sally… Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan might not have been as good as this in any other part of their respective careers. I am a huge fan of this, Reiner’s directed captures the humor and romance in perfect timing, while Ephron’s smart, sassy, extremely witty screenplay explores a vast array of elements of the process of building a relationship.
Combining the found-footage sub-genre with the classic monster movie, Cloverfield is a perfectly entertaining time-passer. There is not much new or original here, but the film plods along nicely, ticking many of the right boxes we want in a horror B-movie. With plenty of New York City locations taking a pounding here, the famous sequence seeing the Statue of Liberty’s head come bouncing, clunking down the street is pretty iconic.
The other 11 New York films?
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Hi Robin #9/11 amen to remembering.
What a wonderful eclectic selection if films-most I haven't seen. These might have to go to the top of my fabulous never ending films-to-watch list. It goes everywhere with me!
Thanks for the DM
Maxine
Thanks. Great appreciating comments like that make the hard work worth it. It was a pleasure thinking of New York movies though. Wonderful.
I'm feeling a strong magnetic force to watch Abels film and The Apartment. The latter I have seen 100 times or more!