Rating: 
Summary: Good Guys Don't Live In New York
Review: "Sidewalks of New York" is an interesting evening's entertainment. Edward Burns is a good romantic lead despite his high-pitched raspy voice. He always seems to be going in two different directions at once, which makes him interesting to watch. One reviewer said that the problem with this as a romantic comedy is that there are no really good guys. Even Ed Burns' character Tommy hits on Annie (Heather Graham) when he's seeing Maria (Rosario Dawson). Maybe the good guys just don't live in New York! Overall, I liked the women characters much more than the men. David Krumholtz as Ben walks around in an doorman's uniform. He had a small part in "The Mexican" with Brad Pitt & Julia Roberts and was memorable in "10 Things I Hate About You." He does a nice job of being a passive-aggressive romancer. Dennis Farina is hysterical as the self-involved Romeo who counsels Tommy on how to successfully hit on women with the memorable pearl that he should spray cologne on his balls, only to have Maria wonder about what kind of guy would do that after their first date. Stanley Tucci who was great as Puck in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" plays the chronic cheating husband who worries about his size to the hilt. Heather Graham who did a nice job in "From Hell" with Johnny Depp and also appeared in "Austin Powers in Goldmember" is most real as the pretty wife with traditional values. Rosario Dawson who played with Will Smith in "Men In Black II" does a great job as the school teacher who dates Tommy. Brittany Murphy is accomplished as the waitress Ashley who has an affair with Stanley Tucci's Griffin. From her role opposite Michael Douglas in "Don't Say A Word" to her part in "Girl, Interrupted" and even her splash in "Riding In Cars With Boys," she shows great range as an actress. Nadia Dajani as Annie's (Heather Graham) best friend does a great job as she did in "Happy Accidents." The DVD version is somewhat interesting. With the film shot in only 16 days, there weren't deleted scenes to watch. The commentary was a bit repetitive since Burns and Dawson were the only two actors interviewed; and the same clips kept repeating. Even having the gaffer's insights on the film seemed like they were trying to stretch the commentary. I didn't find it to add much to the cinematic experience. Yes, it would have been nice to have one guy that we really liked. Yes, the movie is certainly not a "comedy" that is as funny as "Sex In the City." Yes, there's not really a plot so much as a character snapshot. But this is a film that keeps our attention. All in all, it's an interesting evening's entertainment. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Good film, great acting
Review: A surprisingly good film which did not receive much advertisement. I gained a new respect for two actresses that I did not care for: Heather Graham and Brittany Murphy. This movie has a high level of believability. There was not a weak link in this chain of actors. David Krummholtz is adorable, as is Ed Burns. Stanley Tucci is incredibly good. I am not one to watch movies over and over again, but I have seen this one three times already.
Rating:
Summary: Good film, great acting
Review: A surprisingly good film which did not receive much advertisement. I gained a new respect for two actresses that I did not care for: Heather Graham and Brittany Murphy. This movie has a high level of believability. There was not a weak link in this chain of actors. David Krummholtz is adorable, as is Ed Burns. Stanley Tucci is incredibly good. I am not one to watch movies over and over again, but I have seen this one three times already.
Rating: 
Summary: If you can make it here....you can make it Anywhere..
Review: Any filmmaker who attempts to make a free-wheeling, mostly improvisational, hand-held camera shot film about relationships, set in New York City will always be compared to Woody Allen and his films. Allen set the standard to which all such directors must aspire in such films as "Annie Hall" and "Manhatten." Ed Burns' "The Sidewalks of New York," strays a bit from the Allen formula in that Burns' sensibilities and background are not Jewish/Manhatten but Catholic/outer burroughs New York derived. And like Allen, Burns' humor and point of view is an acquired taste, notwithstanding the fact that Burns' is tall and good looking while Allen is short and nebbish. It's to Burns' credit though, in the world of his films, that he has as much if not more trouble than Allen, in his films, finding and keeping someone to love which makes Burns' films as "Universal" as those of Allen: and therein lays the humanity of his films. "The Sidewalks of New York" follows the relationships of Tommy (Ed Burns) and Maria (Rosario Dawson), Annie (Heather Graham) and Griffin (Stanley Tucci), Ashley (Brittany Murphy) and Ben (David Krumholtz). Much of the script is witty,bright and more importantly intelligent. The performances are first-rate with Brittany Murphy and Rosario Dawson being the standouts in this large cast.
It is to Ed Burns' credit that he shows no signs of being intimidated by Woody Allen even though both of these filmmakers generally follow the same path thematically. New York is big enough to handle both of them....I'm sure of it.
Rating:
Summary: If you love NYC this is a MUST SEE
Review: Ed Burns captures New York life and the relationships with such humor and sadness. One minute I was laughing , the next I was crying. Great writing.....all I can say now is I want to see more movies like this.
Rating:
Summary: Vulnerabilities We All Face In Relationships
Review: Edward Burns has made a very good film of the romantic comedy genre, about the complex lives of six New Yorker's whose lives intersect at some point during the movie. Filmed in a documentary style, one can't help but feel the spontaneity and good acting of the cast, made more intimate by the ambient New York setting. What I liked about the movie was the realism it depicted, and the vulnerablities and fears playing on the lives of people in relationships. This is the first movie of Edward Burns I have seen and I can't wait to see his other works of art. If you want to know more about relationships and the human condition, watch this film. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Edward Burns knows Dialogue!
Review: Edwards Burns is the writer, director, and one of the stars of this movie. He also wrote/directed "She's the One", and "The Brothers McMullen". He is sort of a male Nora Ephron. He can write about romantic situations in modern day, and make them seem funny, serious, and realistic to some extent. and we know where he has set this movie. "Sidewalks of New York" is his latest work. There is a lot of talking in this film, unfortunately one word that begins with f, and it is not a nice word, is way too overused here. That is my only problem with this movie.
Otherwise, I liked it alot. There wasn't really any plot, it was very subtle. It is filmed somewhat in a documentary style, where six people are being interviewed about their relationships and their sex lives as they live them. It's very interesting. I also felt that there is such an honesty to the approach of the all actors and actresses as they speak their lines straight on into the camera. It seems as if they could have just been talking to me, or you. The acting in the film was all very good especially by Stanley Tucci. He plays the sleazeball cheating husband very well. Also, Dennis Farina, is hysterical as Edward Burns' older buddy.
It is a pretty funny movie, and it has some great lines. I just don't appreciate that f word being used so much in films. It doesn't add anything to a movie for me; it actually takes away. In this case, it took away one star. I still recommend it. It's a good choice for a romantic comedy with some drama thrown in.
Rating:
Summary: Insights of New York
Review: For New Yorkers. Or former New Yorkers (there are no ex-New Yorkers). Or anyone. A delightful movie. Unpretentious. Simple. Simply but cleanly and well acted. Stanley Tucci's best work since "Wiseguy." Exceptional casting. A lot of hand-held cameras that are used well and subtly. Wonderful dialogue.
Filled with insight.
Often deliciously funny. A terrific tour of The City. Writer and lead actor Ed Burns always does a good job. Another example of my premise that film is really a writer's medium, only secondarily a director's. --I give this a 4+. It make be fun to try to compare it with TV's "Sex and the City." Though I am not sure where to begin. And get this: No stunts, no helicopters, no explosions!!!
Rating:
Summary: Insights of New York
Review: For New Yorkers. Or former New Yorkers (there are no ex-New Yorkers). Or anyone. A delightful movie. Unpretentious. Simple. Simply but cleanly and well acted. Stanley Tucci's best work since "Wiseguy." Exceptional casting. A lot of hand-held cameras that are used well and subtly. Wonderful dialogue.
Filled with insight.
Often deliciously funny. A terrific tour of The City. Writer and lead actor Ed Burns always does a good job. Another example of my premise that film is really a writer's medium, only secondarily a director's. --I give this a 4+. It make be fun to try to compare it with TV's "Sex and the City." Though I am not sure where to begin. And get this: No stunts, no helicopters, no explosions!!!
Rating:
Summary: Much Ado About Nothing
Review: I find "Sidewalks" highly over-rated as a film about the lives and loves of NYC. For starters, the storyline is not necessarily NYC-specific. HBO's "Sex & the City", albeit bordering on being over-the-top, offers a much more graphic description of relationships in the Big Apple (read: Manhattan). Even better, try Woody Allen's impressive oeuvre spanning some three decades. (He practically revived the simple technique of using hand-held cameras in portraying edgy and emotionally-charged scenes in "Husbands and Wives").
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