Maybe Woody Allen should have written and directed this movie. Not wanting to toss too much shade at the screenwriting by Allan Loeb, or the directing work by Marc Webb, but if they were trying to emulate the eccentricities and random neurotics of Woody Allen's writing and characters, then they kinda didn't hit that goal. They definitely tried to at least, and there were some good ideas found in this movie. Unfortunately, there are just too many things that I had issues with.
On the problems with the writing, besides the air of pretentiousness and idealism in the premise, the story simply asks too much from the audience. It starts off with some promising set ups for a fun but dysfunctional drama, that's filled with colorful characters. By the end of the movie however, it all becomes a set of manipulative plot turns, that revolved around too many unbelievable character moments. Needless to say, there will be people who will roll their eyes at how the story resolves itself.
Even with a strong cast, which includes Kate Beckinsale and Jeff Bridges, the characters are disappointingly either over-written or under-written. The most complicated character is Callum Turner as Thomas Webb, but he goes from charmingly emotional, to annoyingly full of himself. The whole movie revolves around him, and he just comes off as infuriating and annoying! I get that there's a coming-of-age aspect to his plot, but it just comes off as being too fake and overly romanticized.
I was really hoping for "The Only Living Boy In New York" to be a good and compelling romantic drama; not unlike Marc Webb's "500 Days Of Summer," but it simply does not share the same kind of charm and appeal.
loveditenjoyedititsokay IT'S MEH itsterrible
