‘The Only Living Pickpocket in New York’ Trailer: Can John Turturro Finally Earn His First Oscar Nomination?

I’m really looking forward to this one.

“The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” premiered at Sundance to strong reviews and currently holds an impressive 83 on Metacritic. Some who have seen the film have suggested this could be the performance that finally earns John Turturro his first Oscar nomination.

Yeah, hard to believe, but Turturro has never been recognized by the Academy despite delivering a string 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,” which was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics in February, now has a trailer — and it looks terrific. The film is also set to screen at TIFF next month, where I’ll be seeing it for the first time.

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 very top — alongside another Coen regular, John Goodman. Like Turturro, Goodman is the kind of character actor who can effortlessly disappear into any role, no matter how small, bringing wit, depth, and humanity to every performance. As it turns out, Goodman could also find himself in the Oscar conversation this year for his supporting turn as the U.S. President in “Digger.” Stay tuned.

“The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” opens October 16 in Los Angeles and New York before expanding nationwide on October 23.