If it seems like no one else could play the role John Turturro plays in The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, you can imagine the angst writer-director Noah Segan felt when he sent the screenplay to the actor hoping for a “yes.”
uncertain
he → seem → yes
Turturro brings world-weariness, tenderness, and New York City street smarts to his turn as Harry, a career criminal whose way of life is disappearing in a cashless, electronic, often colder world.
asserted
way → bring → world
The character may steal to put food on his table, but he’s also loyal and honest in his own way, caring for a permanently disabled wife and practically a saint when compared with the tech-enabled, mafia nepo baby (Will Price) he makes the mistake of stealing from, setting off the movie’s drama and putting his life in jeopardy.
uncertain
he → steal → jeopardy
Turturro, who has been a ubiquitous presence in film, TV, and theater for decades, truly seems to be everywhere these days—in an acclaimed production heading for Broadway, in Severance, whose fans eagerly await a fourth season, in the forthcoming climate-change dramedy A Statement from Spotlight director Tom McCarthy, and of course anywhere the Knicks are.
asserted
Knicks → seem → course
With Pickpocket, he could very well land his first Oscar nomination in a career full of performances that have certainly qualified for consideration, from Barton Fink to Quiz Show to more Spike Lee films than any other actor has appeared in.
uncertain
actor → land → films
Ahead of the theatrical release of The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, which hit theaters nationwide on Oct. 30, Turturro spoke to TIME about how his hometown has changed, his love for collaborators old and new, and his nerves heading into this year’s NBA season.
asserted
hometown → live → season
Noah Segan said that when he came to meet you, “We had some soup and fell in love.”
asserted
We → say → love
Did you need to be convinced to take the part?
asserted
you → need → part
I read so many scripts, and so many of them are derivative.
asserted
many → read → them
Someone's seen you do something, and they say, "Well, he could do this.”
uncertain
he → see → this
I said, "Is this as good as I think it is?”
asserted
it → say → ?
I was struck by the structure of it, because I love Greek plays.
asserted
I → strike → plays
I love that Aristotelian 24-hour time frame, when something has tension and propulsive movement, an odyssey to survive in a short time, and then it's juxtaposed with this tenderness and the specificity of language.
asserted
it → love → language
I met Noah, and I liked him.
asserted
I → meet → him
He's a gentle guy, but he has a backbone.
asserted
he → have → backbone
When Noah gave me the script, it's like a gift.
asserted
it → give → gift
You want to reciprocate.
asserted
You → want → ?
You want to surprise that person.
asserted
You → want → person
Harry is a criminal, but he operates by a code.
asserted
he → operate → code
He’s true to his word.
asserted
He → ’ → word
He’s loyal to his wife.
asserted
He → ’ → wife
Do you see him as an antihero?
asserted
you → see → antihero
I just try to play a person.
asserted
I → try → person
I’ve read about a lot of these guys.
asserted
I → read → guys
They didn’t have a family, so they formed this little family with other people who didn’t want to hurt people.
asserted
who → have → people
They’re taking something.
asserted
They → take → something
But there’s a lot of people who pick our pockets every day.
asserted
who → ’ → pockets
And they take our world sometimes.
asserted
they → take → world
The movie has a real nostalgia for the old New York, a more analog time.
asserted
movie → have → York
Do you share that feeling?
asserted
you → share → feeling
Everything changes.
asserted
Everything → change → ?
You walk down Bleecker Street, all these theaters, nightclubs are gone.
asserted
nightclubs → walk → Street
It’s CVS.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
It takes away from the texture of a neighborhood.
asserted
It → take → neighborhood
The thing I miss is things being affordable.
asserted
things → miss → ?
When I was young, even if I sat in the back, I could see anyone.
uncertain
I → sit → anyone
I got an education that way, while I was getting a [formal] education, and it opened up my horizons of thinking someday I could make a living doing this.
The city also feels different from decades past because we’re all staring down at our phones instead of looking at each other as we walk down the street.
uncertain
we → get → street
We're all going somewhere.
asserted
We → go → ?
And there's plenty of people that aren't there.
asserted
that → be → people
There's a lot of people gone now from all different generations, and you're more and more surrounded by ghosts.
asserted
you → be → ghosts
…and 55 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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