John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Steve Buscemi star in pickpocketing crime thriller
"The Only Living Pickpocket in New York": Turturro plays a struggling pickpocket in a rapidly changing New York City.
An all star cast joins John Turturro in "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York," a tale of an aging pickpocket in a rapidly changing New York City.
Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tatiana Maslany, Victoria Morales, Michael Hsu Rosen and Will Price also star. Noah Segan wrote and directed.
On The Red Carpet caught up with the stars earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, where they shared what it was like working alongside Turturro in what Esposito describes as a "symphony."
"I think it's a film that has a lot of delicacy, and it's about bigger issues," said Turturro. "It's about all this radical change in life, and how do you adapt to it, even if you are a small-time criminal? And what is your code of honor within your system? There was something about it that really resonated with me."
Turturro plays Harry, a pickpocket trying to make ends meet as he takes care of his disabled wife Rosie. When Harry finds himself in possession of a valuable USB stick, he must return it in time or face the wrath of a powerful family.
Buscemi said Turturro plays "a flawed character. He gave up on one family and then had another. And then he also has his family of misfits and you know, little criminal world of New York, this subculture."
"To work with John has always been a dream," said Esposito. "It's not our first time around." The pair also starred together in Spike Lee's 1989 film "Do the Right Thing." He went on to say, "When you're open enough to create a symphony with another actor, it can be really a beautiful experience."
Tatiana Maslany described acting alongside Tuturro. "I so respect his ability to transform and always bring wit and strangeness to every character. Like, he's just so compelling to me. So it wasn't hard for me to stand opposite him."
"The thing that I really appreciate about John is that he is extremely focused on set in a way that is demanding of the people around him to sort of get on his level, but it's not ego driven. It feels very much focused on creating something with focus and intent," said Rosen.
"It's in the tradition of a long line of New York movies," said Price, who hopes audiences "leave feeling something, whatever that is."
"The Only Living Pickpocket in New York" premieres in select Los Angeles and New York City theaters Oct. 23 and nationwide Oct. 30.
