27 February 2019

Only in New York


THE WORLD BEFORE YOUR FEET (B) - This is the charming story of Matt Green who is documented here on his mission to walk all 8,000 miles or so of New York City. New Yorkers might have an inside appreciation for the nuances here, but it manages to have entertainment value for those of us in flyover country.

Green is an engaging subject, and it's fun to tag along as he explores beyond the beaten track. Rain, snow or sun, he gets his miles in each day, and then blogs about it, tagging various trends he spots -- from 9/11 memorials to barbershops featuring a Z in their names.

Filmmaker Jeremy Workman struggles to knit together a narrative arc. And this clocks in at 95 minutes but truly feels 10 minutes longer and should be 10 minutes shorter. But tag along. It's an interesting trek. Worth it for the cat-sitting gag featuring a cat flipping a light switch.

CRIME + PUNISHMENT (B-minus) - This profile of whistleblowers in the New York City Police Department does feel a little too inside baseball beyond the Big Apple.

The stakes affect people of color -- both the policemen forced to hit quotas (despite the official abolition of such tactics) and the victims who get roped into the system. This feels important but not urgent viewing.

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