When the Pickpocket comes on screen, it’s a case of instant intimacy, which is a rare cinematic experience. The genre is described as a crime drama thriller but, on this occasion, thrills are replaced by a lovable rogue’s unwieldy charm. It’s a spellbinding experience and, despite some plot holes and extraneous detours, no one will be switching this guy off.
The Only Living Pickpocket Story
Harry Lehman (John Turturro) is a quintessential New Yorker. Like many in the criminal fraternity of a certain age, he’s fallen victim to the diminishing cash economy and is unwilling to adapt. Fat bulging wallets are a distant memory and plastic replacements offer slim pickings.
Harry and his lifelong fence, Ben (Steve Buscemi), are Boomer technophobes, which is why neither recognizes the implications of a recently lifted USB stick. Unfortunately for them, this particular gizmo is the property of a local gangster (Will Price), who uses Zoomer technology to track the pair down.
The Old War Dog
Although this movie is a work of fiction, the audience will have no doubt that Harry Lehman did, in fact, exist. He would have had a different name and might have lived in a different district, but he made his living by thieving and his aspirations didn’t leave the ground.
He was a fixture in the local coffee shop by day and by night his shot would be on the bar by the time he reached his stool. He lived on his wits; got high on his instincts and was Mr. Cool when the cops dropped by.
Road Bumps
This story is rich in intrigue but there are road bumps along the way. Lehman looks after his sick wife, which is an attempt to show his caring side. But Mrs Lehman looks 30 years younger than her husband, which draws a picture of its own. It also doesn’t fit with the 60s nostalgia that’s a sometimes backdrop for sentimental forays.
Another distraction is when Harry’s blackmailed by the gangster to carry out a mission, but there is zero reason the gangster wouldn’t carry it out himself. There’s an easy fix with Gangster Grandma (Jamie Lee Curtis) waiting in the wings, but the opportunity is missed.
The Family Man
It’s during the gangster debacle that Harry drops by a family member and his list of personal failures are reeled off in a single scene. Apart from evaporating the tension, lovable rogues don’t need a relationship resume. The ‘who-s’ and ‘when-s’ might differ, but the body count is always the same. They make lousy fathers and even worse husbands.
The A-Team’s in Town
Very late in the story there’s a visit from another pickpocket living in New York, namely Billy (Mark Cayne). When the two meet, chemistry explodes as the old dog teaches the new dog, and the movie crashes into a whole new genre. Hopefully, the filmmakers will hone in on the magic, find a cute way around the undefined ending of The Only Pickpocket, and subsequently present audiences with a buddy comedy that would be the most original of all time.
Watch The Trailer
Written and directed by Noah Segan
Festival Release
Sundance, 2026
Release Details TBA
Media Rights Capital (MRC)
www.mrcentertainment.com
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classic
About Noah Segan
In 2022, Segan wrote, produced, directed and starred in his first feature film, Blood Relatives, financed and distributed by AMC Networks’ Shudder.[13]
In 2026, Segan premiered his second directorial feature film The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, produced by T-Street and MRC,[14] starring John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Tatiana Maslany, Giancarlo Esposito and Jamie Lee Curtis[15], at the Sundance and Berlinale. The film is set to be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics later this year.
About John Turturro
John Michael Turturro is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his varied roles in independent films, as well as his frequent collaborations with the Coen brothers and Spike Lee. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award and nominations for three Golden Globe Awards.
He achieved his career breakthrough with Five Corners (1987). He acted in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo’ Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), and Clockers (1995).
He also starred in the Coens’ Miller’s Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (1991), for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor, The Big Lebowski (1998), and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000).
He also starred in Fearless (1993), Quiz Show (1994), and Gloria Bell (2018); and portrayed Seymour Simmons in the Transformers film series (2007–2011, 2017) and Carmine Falcone in The Batman (2022).
