NEW YORK – John Turturro is the king of the New York Film Festival.
The "Big Lebowski" actor is the star of not one, but two movies that screened at this year's festival: "A Statement
," about a group of experts assembled for a series of meetings about climate policy, and "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York," about a New York City pickpocket who makes the mistake of stealing from the wrong person.The latter also reunites Turturro with Giancarlo Esposito: The pair were previously costars in Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" in 1989, as well as Lee's follow-up, 1990's "Mo' Better Blues."
In a post-film Q&A for "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York" on Oct. 7 , Esposito, who plays a detective who knows Turturro's character well, recalled how
the reunion came about.
"We've been observing each other in life, and yearning to be together again," Esposito said. "… The way this happened was special: John asked me to do it when we ran into each other at a fashion show in Italy, and I immediately said, 'I'd love to. Let's figure it out.'"
Esposito added that the movie speaks to the idea of being able to "look at someone and to really feel who they are" and said this reflects his relationship with Turturro.
"John and I, every time we see each other, there's a deeper bond that exists, whether we address it or not," he said. "And it reminds me of New Yorkers: Even in their short moments, there's something very present about not only this city, but about its people."
Turturro's character, Harry, is depicted as a remnant of a bygone era, who feels time has passed him by, in "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York": He has perfected the art of pickpocketing, but now lives in a cashless world.
Director Noah Segan, known for his work as an actor in Rian Johnson's films, described Harry as "someone who was straddling two worlds," who has "spent their life honing a set of skills that are maybe not as useful as they once were, in a place where they should be the most useful."
Segan did plenty of research into the mechanics of pickpocketing for the film, while Turturro worked with Apollo Robbins, a magician and pickpocketing expert.
"His hands are like a concert pianist's," Turturro said. "He can do anything. He would take my watch off every time I talked to him."
Turturro said he was compelled by the idea of a character whose world has changed completely. Throughout the film, Harry is driven by a need to protect his disabled wife, whose life is put at risk when he steals from a wealthy person who hunts him down.
"Not many people get second acts, second chances," Turturro said. "As you get older, you realize what it is to actually care about someone, or love someone, and what that means. There's a sacrifice, and sometimes people discover that late in life."
The film is also a love letter to New York, through and through: Much of its runtime consists of Turturro traveling on subways and busses around Manhattan and the outer boroughs. Segan joked he had a "pinboard with the red tape triangulating places" in his office to map out Harry's commute.
Tatiana Maslany plays Harry's estranged daughter, who has a tense reunion with him in an emotional scene. The "Orphan Black" actress also happens to star in Turturro's other New York Film Festival movie, "A Statement," in which she plays an environmental lawyer and he plays an expert in nuclear engineering.
"It's just astonishing to me that the two characters I play opposite John are so completely different," Maslany said, adding, "John and I hadn't worked together before this. We knew each other a little bit. But I was so excited to have this one day with him."
Speaking with USA TODAY at the premiere of "A Statement" on Oct. 3, Turturro said he was "very appreciative" about his pair of films at the festival. "I've been on both sides: Being invited, not invited. So it's great."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito reunite after years of 'yearning'
