In 1977 . . .
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — New York, New York
Harold_Robbins — 14 years ago(July 03, 2011 08:34 PM)
I walked out on this one. Hoping to revise/reassess my opinion, I bought it years ago on VHS (restored/letterboxed) but never took the shrink-wrap off. Finally bought the 2-disc DVD a few months ago at one of those bargain places for $3 and started watching it tonight. It's all new to me, I don't remember a think from 1977, but it didn't take long to remember a reason I walked out:
it's
boring.
The whole thing has a phoney-baloney tone to it, especially the exaggerated costumes and color-scheme - the wigs aren't flattering to Liza (Mr. Guilaroff has made her look like her mother in MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS) and she seems very uncomfortable with the more restrained vocals of 1940s big band-style. As for DeNiro - well, I feel like Stanley Kowalski somehow got in the wrong movie.
Ye gods, what a self-conscious, self-congratulatory disaster!!!
"In my case, self-absorption is
completely
justified." -
franzkabuki — 14 years ago(July 17, 2011 07:48 AM)
Of course its "phoney" and "exaggerated" - its about entertainers whose entire lives are like a stage performance and the film literalizes the notion. It may be glammed up to high heavens, but boy does it look inspired and spectacular. And whats wrong with Kowalski? If anything, its a compliment even though De Niros work here isnt even remotely similar to Brandos mumbling back in the day - except that hes a bit of an as-hole (and a rather tolerable one as such, compared to some famous exercises in insistent obnoxiousness like, for instance, Belmondos slouching about in Breathless). In fact, I think this might just be De Niros most underrated performance - perhaps not quite on par with Bickle, La Motta & Pupkin, but no less impressive than the work he does in Mean Streets or The Deer Hunter. The accusation that its "boring" makes the least sense to me though as the film that I saw was packed with high wire energy & creativity throughout. Its not exactly a flawless nor the most consistent movie in tone & quality, but when it works, the effect is sublime - and mostly, it does work. If you want boring Scorsese, dig up The Aviator or Gangs Of New York. If you want an inept, misjudged mess - instead of glorious excess - then there is Shutter Island. If theres something that New York New York proves beyond doubt, its that Marty and cocaine used to be a winning combination - he made a bloody MUSICAL work for ME! And I HATE musicals.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan -
jayhawk-18 — 14 years ago(July 21, 2011 12:18 PM)
I agree, it's deathly dull. Scorsese needed the courage to curtail De Niro's rambling improvisations and to cut the length of many of the scenes. Everything just drags on far too long and the dialogue is often pointless.
I was watching the first 15 minutes last night thinking 'these days all that would be compressed into 2 minutes'. For example, there's the way Liza's character says 'no' about 50 times to his advances, but she never modulates her voice or becomes exasperated. Either it was a lame attempt at comedy or she wasn't able to deal with De Niro's showboating. -
jeanniemotherof3 — 14 years ago(February 25, 2012 01:38 AM)
jayhawk! You clearly should have stopped watching after 15 minutes, you couldn't even comprehend that much!
I believe there was a purpose that scene was exactly as it was.
"These days all that would be compressed into 2 minutes" lol, exactly!} and btw, that's the first and only intelligent thing you had to say. -
scottythefield — 13 years ago(November 29, 2012 07:46 AM)
No, jayhawk got it right, so many pointlessly extended scenes - characters nattering on about sloe gin fizzes and whatnot. There's a weird lifelessness to the improv bits that certainly wasn't the case in "Mean Streets" or "GoodFellas". DeNiro's and Minnelli's acting styles never seem to mesh.
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huwdj — 10 years ago(November 06, 2015 12:28 PM)
I watched the film when it came out and really liked it. Just watched an extended version and still like it but next time maybe the shorter version. It's funny that I've never particularly appreciated De Nero and I'm not sure Liza quite hits the mark in this film but it still works - well it does for me anyway.
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greenbudgie — 9 years ago(April 05, 2016 01:32 AM)
I would have walked out on this one as well. I tried to tolerate the so-called dialogue in this. The two leads were like a couple of animated chimpanzees mimicking each other with their repetitive drivel. When I realised this moronic banter was never going to end, I switched off.