THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK

ONLY THE LONELY

Film review by Fiore

 OVERALL:

THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK is like a Bob Dylan song – someone else should have done it.  Dylan was a great song writer, but a terrible song performer.  He is the only singer who can make Neil Young sound good!  The best thing Dylan did was give his songs to Roger McGuinn and the Byrd’s, who then proceeded to make them hits.  This is what Director Marc Webb and Writer Alan Loeb needed to do; let someone not immersed in New York ideology make the film.  Only a progressive New Yorker could find value in this movie.

PLOT:

Thomas is a typical millennial.  He is wandering through life, unable to find his niche, living off his parents.  When he discovers his father is having an affair, his life goal becomes the humiliation and destruction of his father.  In his quest, he will discover truths about his family, and then discover his one true calling. 

Thomas Webb is played by Callum Turner.  He plays his role like a member of antifa, ready to impose his ideology on folks not interested in it.  Pierce Brosnan is his dad, Ethan Webb and Cynthia Nixon plays his mother, Judith Webb.   Brosnan is solid, as always.  Nixon is barely on screen, save for one extended, rather dramatic scene in the film’s concluding reel.   Kate Beckinsale plays Johanna, the other woman in the lives of the Webb boys,  and Jeff Bridges plays W.F. Gerald, Thomas’ mysterious new neighbor who seems to have an unhealthy interest in the lad.   Bridges is good, while Kate walks through her role, almost as if she, like most viewers,  is having a hard time believing in the script.

 

PARTICULARS:

On the technical side, most are performing yeoman duty in their respective trades.  Notable is Rob Simonsen, who scores the film.  He supplements his original work with an eclectic collection of pop and rock songs that will evoke their own memories for viewers. 

Tim Streeto is editor, and he unveils the tale in fairly linear fashion.  Cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh is also rather standard, though he does have a few cool background scenery shots.

 

REPORT CARD:

ACTING = B

CINEMATOGRAPHY = C

SOUND/MUSIC = B

EDITING = C

LIGHTING = C

SCRIPT = F

SFX = D

ACTION = F

SUMMARY: 

Again, this is a film only a New Yorker could appreciate.  The protagonist ruins the lives of three people close to him, but somehow his actions are alibied because some weird sense of Gestalt is achieved.

The sad part is the waste of the trio of Brosnan, Bridges and Beckinsale, the killer B’s, if you will.  It is a power acting combo we may never see again, and it’s wasted on this tripe.

If you’re like Billy Joel and in a New York state of mind, you may find something of value in THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK.  Otherwise, save your money on this one.  It’s just not very entertaining.

 

REWATCHABLE INDEX: None