As I sat down in my usual go-to aisle seat at the Cannes Film Festival’s famous DeBussy theater, I had more-than-decent expectations for Danielle Lessovitz’ “Port Authority,” which was produced by none other than Martin Scorsese. Fast track two years later, and the film is being given a limp-dick release on VOD and “select theaters.” I have, more or less, completely forgotten about the film, which underwhelmed me back in 2019. Tackling the story of millennial drifter Paul (Fionn Whitehead), kicked out of his home in Pennsylvania and travelling to New York City, Lessovitz’ film posits us to believe that one can find romance with Wye (Leyna Bloom) a woman who, unbeknownst to Paul, is transgender. It’s “The Crying Game,” but for the woke crowd, Wye’s reveal isn’t necessarily depicted as an issue by Lessovitz — as they start to learn more about each other, their queer romance is blurred by Paul's lies and inability to cope with adulthood. I was struck by Lessovitz’ immersive depiction of the NYC urban millieu, but left cold by the central romance, one which, despite the original coupling, felt too familiar for its own good.
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