New York Lately

By A. Chow

Independent film extends beyond the arthouse flicks by the million dollar production companies of the Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures. There are people out there armed with a camera and nothing else but heart and determination to tell their story.

New York Lately is one of those independent films riding on shear determination and in this industry that counts for a lot. Written and directed by New York resident Gary King, the woven tapestry of eight characters is clearly inspired by the storytelling work of Babel and 21 Grams writer/director Alejandro González Iñárritu. With New York City as the backdrop, the film follows eight characters on their journey to finding love, truth, and happiness.

With a high level of production value this tiny film looks quite impressive. King excellently executes juggling eight characters and their storylines with ease. With a heavy duty number to work with, King is able to balance out all plots without sacrificing the screentime of another.

Though (almost) each and every character is immersed in the niche market of the entertainment and arts industry, they're still not hard to relate to. Veronica struggles to find success as an actress, Ringo is stuck overcompensating for his insecurities, Elliot suspects his wife of infidelity and the woes go on.

For the most part, New York Lately was engaging but not engrossing. I have difficulty saying this as I'm all for independent and underground filmmaking. And King definitely has something there but at the same time, something feels missing. Mark (played by the most promising Mark DiConzo) has trouble overcoming the breakup with his longtime girlfriend. Aesthetically, Mark's plot line was the most visually appealing, the rooftop scene in particular. However, on the other hand, it was also the most uneventful. In terms of character arc, Mark felt as though he were going in circles, and there would be moments where you’re on the edge of your seat waiting and anticipating for him to forget the ex, but then he circles right back to her.

The dynamic between Elliot and Sam I found to be the most entertaining and interesting. I’m going to overlook the potentially creepiness in their age difference (he was her idol as a child after all) but they were “cute” and they encompassed all the other warm and fuzzies that made them appealing. Predictable, yes, but nonetheless it was the anticipation of Elliot finding the truth about his wife that was the most engaging.

One of the highlights of New York Lately was King’s ability to keep each storyline to be fairly distinct from one another. Though I do admit to having trouble with the names, the stories themselves were fairly straightforward and concise. There were definitely moments of predictability and sometimes even teetered on the cliché, but overall they had an ability to resonate with you. Every character had a tiny moment that makes you think twice about your own happiness and loves.

King also played with editing styles, but unfortunately it felt just a tad jarring. Scenes were sometimes cut with jumps in time while dialogue continued to run linearly, and it was definitely one of his directorial tools that was best left used sparingly so. Regardless, I give a mighty thumbs up and recommend this flick. Its simple, straightforward and filled with heart and situations we can all relate to, and supporting the independent spirit of filmmaking is always a fun bonus. King, above and beyond succeeds in proving his point – no matter where you come from, what your experiences are, we’re really not that different from one another.