Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Pluskylang Great Film overall

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

2freensel I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

Rodrigo Amaro Three of the most important directors of all time unite here to produce a remarkable conjointed project offering an interesting rendition about the modern center of the world, the imponent New York. It offers plenty of visions, transitioning from a realistic urban tale to dreamy and out of the ordinary situations that takes place in a city where everything can and will happen. I guess it's fair to say this was one of the first films of its kind (with the city as main character), specially in American cinema who takes inspiration from many European classics of the 1960's with talented group of directors united for a common project, each with his view. Seeing "New York Stories" now is ten times more relevant now than what it was right when of its release. We can analyze the filmmakers evolution (the washed-up Coppola tale is more of a Sofia project than one directed by Francis); take a look at a New York distant from 9/11, a fresh, energic and positive place that seemed to open its arms to everyone. Nostalgia takes over."Life Lessons" (Martin Scorsese segment): Marty, the only who haven't wrote his own piece, made a small masterpiece with his short film, the longest of the segments. It's a true spinning wheel on the life of a famous painter (Nick Nolte) who welcomes back a estranged girlfriend (Rosanna Arquette), muse of his creations and according to him, love of his troubled life of countless failed marriages. Of all three, this has the most poignant story, and the visual master-craft of Scorsese is an ecstasy to the eyes with Nestor Almendros spectacular cinematography and the always effective editing of Thelma Schoonmaker, both helping to tell a story in a great sense. It tells plenty about relationships, the fragility, in's and out's and everything that comes with it, love vs. interest vs. passion. It's slightly melodramatic but it works."Life Without Zoe" (Francis Ford Coppola segment): a rich girl (Heather McComb) lives a perfect life among rich friends and dedicated parents (Talia Shire and Giancarlo Giannini) who are tying to reconcile with each other. Everyhing's so vivid, colorful and so sitcom-like that...nothing happens, really. The most indulgent and careless of the segments, this one seems more like a Sofia Coppola project (and she wrote it when she was 18) than a Francis film. Looking back now that she made tremendous films on similar hedonistic poor rich girl issues but with a little more depth, it only proves that some people can't change all that much. The city is OK here, and there's even time to flee to Greece."Oediphus Wrecks" (Woody Allen segment): what can I say? Allen is Allen, always a pleasure to watch. Here, he plays a man who suffers with the constant interference of his mother (Mae Questel, lovely) on his life and relationships until the day she mysteriously disappears during a magic act. Everything's fine, he's spending more time with his girlfriend (Mia Farrow) until the mother pops up in the New York sky, still bothering him but this time for everyone to see and laugh of him. His only hope: a psychic (Julie Kavner, brilliant) who'll try everything on her book to make the old lady go away. New York is extensively captured, perhaps the only segment that allowed the viewers to get a real sense of how magnificent the city is - the shot with the mother's floating head over the World Trade Center is beautifully and magically done. Two good tales against one bad, the majority wins. Frankly, I prefer this movie than the current streaming of "NY, I Love You", "Paris, I Love You" (and now Rio will have its movie) that features a larger group of directors but only 4 or 5 can make decent and memorable pieces about those spectacular cities. I'd like to see new takes from the same directors, but this time Spike Lee instead of Coppola, and more focus on the other districts rather than only Manhattan. 10/10

gcd70 Three "New York" directors have each contributed here to three short films set in the heart of the metropolis. The big apple plays second fiddle however to these three very diverse tales.First feature "Life Lessons" is a character study that never grips. Nick Nolte's turn as a self-centred, exceptionally talented artist is a high point; the entire idea is unclear though, and it is hard to know what Martin Scorcese had in mind. Also starred Rosanna Arquette.Francis Coppola's "Life Without Zoe" is a self-absorbed, silly yawn. This was obviously a story close to the Coppola's heart, yet they were unable to make it interesting."Oedipus Wrecks" is pure Woody Allen. He is delightfully funny as the repressed lawyer with the mother complex and the Jewish inferiority syndrome. Mae Qeustel is a riot as the domineering mother in question. Julie Kavner is also great, and Mia Farrow makes her token appearance.Saturday, April 10, 1999 - Video

Galina The anthology that include three short films that take place in New York City was made by three great American directors, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, and Francis Ford Coppola."Life Lessons" directed by Martin Scorsese, literally took my breath away - it made me want to rewatch all Scorsese's films (with the one exception, GONY, though). What a magnificent work - visually it is as powerful as the painting Nolte's Lionel was painting. Combining in one short film Procul Harum's "A whiter shade of pale" and Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" from "Turandot" was a stroke of genius. This film is an ode to the power of talent; it is about greatness and curse of the gift, not about love to the woman. The best scene of the film and I'd say one of the best ever made about the Artist's work is Nolte triumphantly painting his masterpiece - his love, desire, lust, cries, whispers, tears, and humiliations magically transform with every stroke of his brush into the immortal, triumphant, brilliant work of art. By the time the painting is finished, he would need a new source of inspiration and self-torture, and the cycle will repeat over again. Devilishly clever portrait of an Artist as Not a Young Man. 9.5/10 I loved Woody Allen's "Oedipus Wrecks" and I think it is very funny and touching. Looks like Allen has met mothers or grandmothers like Mrs. Millstein in real life and his little gem is his love-hate letter to them. In the end, mom always knows what is best for her little boy. Mae Questel and Julie Kavner (Marge Simpson) were wonderful. Woody's face after his mom "disappears" and the scene when he practically makes love to the chicken drumstick are pure delight; also the commentary that New York is used to everything and readily accepts the crazy situation - it is so true. One of the best Allen's films I've seen lately - I am very glad that I finally saw it.Larry David ("Seinfeld", "Curb Your Enthusiasm") plays the Theater Manager. It made me think if Estelle Costanza created by David and Mrs. Millstein (Woody's omnipresent mother) have a lot in common in making the lives of their sons miserable and smothering them with their merciless love? 9/10 Coppola's "Life Without Zoë" was much weaker than Scorsese's and Allan's stories and paled in comparison - this episode "from the lives of the reach and beautiful" was pretty and cute but you can skip it. 5/10

mkw-5 "Life Lessons" (Scorsese)-This is really different from the Scorsese we are used to see. This special form (=short episodes) seems to have given the directors some new possibilities and freedoms. The movie is great. Nick Nolte and Rosanna Arquette are absolutely perfect. The story is simple on the surface, but the characters are very well build and very realistic: They are both lovable, sympathetic and stupid and selfish at the same time. The characters are maybe the deepest and most multi-dimensional that I've ever seen in a Scorsese movie."Life Without Zoe" (Coppola)-Very interesting movie. The story is about rich people, a rich and well succeeded family. The movie shows that rich people are people also. Very specially directed and acted. Very interesting."Oedipus Wrecks" (Allen)-I don't know if Allen is a director or an artist at all. He don't have anything to say, at least in this short picture. He's again acting himself, and comically, not acting very good. He's a super-neurotic person that creates problems out of nothing. He doesn't seem to have anything else in his life than whining about nothing and making movies about that. This is his most boring work I've seen. OK, maybe he's done something good also. But this was so bad, so boring and uninteresting that I hardly could watch it even with fast forwarding.Overally, because the Scorsese's piece is so great, and the Coppola's piece also in it's own way, this episode movie was very good, and very interesting. Allen's part couldn't make the other parts worse. Recommended for everybody.