Last month, “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” premiered at Sundance to very good reviews — it currently holds an impressive 83 on Metacritic. Some who have seen the film pointed out that this could be the performance that finally gives John Turturro his first Oscar nomination.
Yeah, hard to believe — but Turturro has never been recognized by the Academy, despite a flurry of great performances in films such as “The Big Lebowski,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Barton Fink,” “Miller’s Crossing,” and “Quiz Show.”
In any case, ‘Pickpocket’ has now been picked up by Sony Pictures Classics, with plans for a U.S. release in the fall. No word yet on how much they spent to acquire the film, but we can probably expect it to hit the fall festivals — maybe Toronto, maybe Telluride, definitely others as well.
In ‘Pickpocket,’ directed by Noah Segan, Turturro plays Harry, an aging, old-school pickpocket who still works the streets and subways of New York, despite his craft being nearly obsolete. His quiet routine is shattered when he accidentally steals an item tied to dangerous criminals, putting both himself and his disabled wife at risk.
Looking through the list of great living actors who have never received an Oscar nomination, Turturro is near the top — a character actor who can anchor a film as effortlessly as he can disappear into the margins of one, bringing wit and humanity to even the smallest roles.
Sony Pictures Classics knows how to run an Oscar campaign; they’ve been doing it very successfully for many years now. Just look at the strong push they gave Ethan Hawke this year for “Blue Moon,” and Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”) the year prior. Maybe next it’ll be Turturro’s turn to finally be recognized by the Academy.
At a Q&A this morning, Gray said "Two Lovers" was the first film he made with creative control. He was far less kind about the three before it, "Little Odessa," "The Yards" and "We Own the Night."