New York, New York (1977)
Genre: Drama / Music
Duration: 155 minuten / 163 minuten (1981 re-issue / blu-ray) / 136 minuten (edited re-release)
Country:
United States
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Stars: Liza Minnelli, Robert De Niro and Lionel Stander
IMDb score:
6,6 (23.562)
Releasedate: 21 June 1977
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
New York, New York plot
"The war was over and the world was falling in love again."
On the day World War II ends, arrogant, easy-talking musician Jimmy meets a singer named Francine. They fall in love and have a stormy relationship. They are both fighting for their careers and to get to the top.
Actors and actresses
Francine Evans
Jimmy Doyle
Tony Harwell
Paul Wilson
Palm Club Owner
Bernice Bennett
Doyle's Girl in Major Chord
Eddie Di Muzio
Gilbert
Master of Ceremonies
Reviews & comments
avdj
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- 225 messages
- 1309 votes
Martin Scorsese will forever be considered one of the greatest directors of all time. That's right when you look at the masterpieces he has to his name. Moreover, these spread over a large period of time: in every decade it produces at least one absolute outlier. A recurring aspect is that he constantly comes up with 'rise and fall' stories. Sometimes these are brilliant (Taxi Driver, The Departed) other times dull and not very creative (I thought Casino was a complete dragon).
But this title was also erased from my conscience in no time. Nowhere have I encountered any memorable moments, fun dialogues or interesting plot twists. A musician falls head over heels for a singer and they build their life together. As a chatty saxophonist, De Niro is often too dominant for Minnelli and that increasingly causes problems. A film cannot be told much more linearly and rigidly.
I think the biggest shortcoming is that the chemistry between the main characters is downright disastrous. Nowhere does it become clear to me why Jimmy is so eager to get Francini married. His attempts to get along don't yield any results and once they're together, there's still no trace of chemistry. Laughter doesn't seem to be Francini's cup of tea: she looks uninspired throughout the film.
In terms of viewing experience, there is nothing new under the sun. No beautiful shots, original camera angles or beautiful use of color anywhere. Only the final scene manages to add some spice to the film. New York, New York is just way too long: in my opinion the film could easily have been an hour shorter. A great De Niro and a catchy theme tune keep New York, New York from a lower rating.
2.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Bobbejaantje
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- 2301 messages
- 2092 votes
I watched the 136 min version and thought it was a wonderful film. What a fantastic performance from Robert De Niro, fascinating to watch from start to finish. I also thought Liza Minelli was great: top singer and top actress, in a role that was tailor-made for her. The hyper-stylized costuming and settings, based on the 1940s and 1950s: awesome. The direction and cinematography - with references to visual language from the old musicals - complete it completely. Reportedly, there was a lot of improvisation on the set in the dialogues, and that can be seen in the end result, it gives the whole a spontaneity that was non-existent in the old school musicals. Interesting and very entertaining too. In the best tradition of the musical, this film is also a kind of mix of musical, drama and comedy.
If you like musicals or jazz, this is a film you should definitely see. It is true that I have discovered an anachronism in the film as far as the music is concerned. Throughout the film, a double bass player can be seen in the orchestras, but it is clearly audible that for certain recordings the bass part was played on bass guitar. Bass guitar was only launched in 1950 and to my knowledge never dominated the swing and bop scenes of the 40's and 50's. But at least the basslines sounded damn good.
Also a big compliment, of course, to the composer duo John Kander and Fred Ebb who provided the film with unforgettable songs. The brilliant ending of the film continues to resonate with the sounds of the sublime title track New York New York.
I now feel like watching the long version of the film.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
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- 11421 messages
- 6719 votes
Director Martin Scorsese's first really big project ultimately became a music film with a big punch of drama. Yet the first half is quite light and Liza Minnelli plays a particularly intriguing character. Sincerely acted and not dependent on theatrical emotions, she actually outclasses Robert De Niro (who really doesn't do a bad job) in every respect. The film is provided with large-scale and colorful set pieces, making it look quite well thought out for some time. As the second half progresses, the story tilts significantly towards heavy events and setbacks. Within a film of 163 minutes (the version I watched), that certainly counts and I started to regularly move my gaze to the clock to see how long I had left. Still, in the end I had a great time and the long playing time turned out not to be a very difficult and tiring climb.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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