Relationships are complicated. Even when two people seem perfect for each other, there's always something that can and will cause a problem. It can be another person, the timing, or the simple fact that people change. In typical Hollywood romantic comedies, two people who are perfect for each other finally realize it at the end of the movie, and the journey there is usually tired and predictable. With independent romantic comedies, it's usually more than one couple, both people in each couple are unhappy, and after a lotta witty dialogue, they each find themselves in a new, seemingly happier relationship. Those are usually more entertaining, but they're just as predictable. "Sidewalks of New York" is an example of an independent romantic comedy, and even though there's nothing innovative about it, it's very perceptive, and more importantly, it's entertaining. I can deal with predictable as long the road to the inevitable conclusion is entertaining, and "Sidewalks of New York" is certainly that.
I think most people can relate to one or more of the characters in the movie, or have at least been in one or more of their situations. "Sidewalks of New York" is realistic, shot in a documentary style, making it even easier to relate to the already realistic characters. Actually, they seem less like characters and more like real people. Sometimes, it's like that waaaaaaaaay past it's prime MTV show, "The Real World," but that can be forgiven.
This is a movie where it's all about the dialogue, and the characters speak just like real people do. Yeah, they're all witty, but they're not all perfectly eloquent, like in a Kevin Smith or Quentin Tarantino movie (though I'm a huge fan of both of those guys). All of the characters in "Sidewalks of New York" say "um," "well," and "ya know" repeatedly, just like real people do.
I should probably mention that this movie was postponed a couple of months because of the horrible tragedy of September 11. That was probably a wise move. There are a few shots where the Twin Towers are in plain view, and that woulda been a lot more jarring if released on it's original release date. I'm really glad that they decided not to digitally erase them. I'm of the belief that the towers should be rebuilt, even taller, if possible. Many believe that a memorial should take the place of the two downed buildings. That's fine, but what better memorial would there be than if they rebuilt the towers? It would be the biggest memorial in the world!
"Sidewalks of New York" was written and directed by Ed Burns, who also wrote and directed "No Looking Back," "She's the One," and "The Brothers McMullen." His movies are very easygoing, and to people who aren't into dialogue-driven character studies, his movies would probably be considered boring. Granted, there are slow parts, but I smiled a lot during this movie.
This is an ensemble film, and as usual, writer/director Burns is in it. I don't have a problem with that at all. In fact, I think he's good in these types of movies. For those of you who have never seen an Ed Burns film, you may have seen him acting in movies where he wasn't the writer or director, like in "Saving Private Ryan." He was one of the soldiers, the one from Brooklyn. Also, he co-starred with Robert De Niro in "15 Minutes." Also in the movie are Heather Graham ("Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me," "Boogie Nights," and most recently, "From Hell"), Rosario Dawson (her debut role was in "Kids"... she was one of the Pussycats in "Josie and the Pussycats"), Dennis Farina (Chicago cop turned character actor... he was Jennifer Lopez's father in "Out of Sight"), and Stanley Tucci (an excellent actor... he was awesome in what can be considered the best season of television ever, the first season of "Murder One"). Everyone was really, really good, but my favorites were David Krumholtz (he was funny "The Mexican," though he wasn't in it for very long... he was also really good in "10 Things I Hate About You") and Brittany Murphy (she was in "Clueless" and "Drop Dead Gorgeous"). Murphy is probably best known for playing psychos, she played one in "Girl, Interrupted" and "Don't Say a Word." But even when she plays someone relatively normal, like in this movie, she's kinda kooky. That's okay, though. I like that about her.
"Sidewalks of New York" is a simple, light, entertaining movie that I liked, even though there were some slow parts. It's not a movie that's gonna change the world, but it's a good way to spend a couple of hours.
Scale of 1-10: 7