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Three views of life in the city of all cities comprise this film, with segments directed by Woody Allen, Francis Coppola, and Martin Scorsese. The best of the three is "Life Lessons," directed by Scorsese, about an artist (played by Nick Nolte) who uses his hypersuccess to lure beautiful young aspiring artists to serve as his assistant/lovers. The segment is an astute portrait of the nature of the New York art world. In "Life Without Zoe," Coppola portrays the life of the privileged Zoe, the daughter of a world-renowned flutist, whose adventures on the Upper East Side (in the upper echelons of society) play like something approaching a cartoon. Woody Allen finishes up the film with his "Oedipus Wrecks," a typical Allen number about a successful New York lawyer who's still hounded by his mother--the title tells you all you need to know. Though stronger segments to complement Scorsese's would have made this film much more interesting and enjoyable, it does provide an accurate glimpse into this wondrous city and is a must-see for anyone fascinated by New York.--James McGrath
Coulda Been Scorcese: Best of the three. Smart, insightful, well acted. Nolte and Arquette do great with necessarily sparse material. The only one of the three that would probably survive as a full length movie. 5 stars
Copolla: Dreck. Dumb. Pointless. Poorly acted. Self indulgent. Zero stars.
Allen: Wanted so badly to like it but just never quite got there. Typical Allen neurosis. Not very funny. Scenes with the fake paranormal are the best. A pleasant, if very mild, diversion. Worth a viewing. 2.5 stars.
It's art. You give it up, you were never an artist in the first place. This selection of three short films has been a longtime favorite of mine, although I could do without the third piece (Woody Allen's Oedipus Wrecks) and feel just as satisfied.
Scorsese's bit is by far the best and although it's portrayal of ego and the New York art world left me wanting more, it was just the perfect length and depth. The character of Lionel Dobie rang true to many artists I know, along with his never realizing that his art is his true wife. The soundtrack (the continuous loop of "Whiter Shade of Pale") was a natural fit.
Coppola's piece was a charming and cinematically gorgeous little fairytale. It's not deep, just full of simple brilliance. I was bewitched by the father as a flautist.
I've never gotten through Allen's film, so I can't accurately characterize it except for the fact that its unwatchability might be evidence enough.
This collection, however, is one of the many reasons that point to the fact that New York City is, in the end, where I will hang my hat.From excellent to so-so to pretty bad This is a trio of short films, each about 40 minutes in length, by three top directors (Martin Scorese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Woody Allen), with the only thing in common being their NYC settings. The Scorese film is about an abstract painter (Nick Nolte) who is in love with his assistant - or rather uses this "love" as inspiration for his work. The Coppola flick is about rich people and is the worst of the three. The Allen one, which is the best of the lot, is in the "old" Allen style: he plays a lawyer with an overbearing mother who hovers over the city like a ghost telling everyone his secrets. She comes back to earth when he meets a girl just like her. It's called OEDIPUS WRECKS, and it's very funny. The other two - not so hot.
