Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11863 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-15
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 119 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
New York Stories comprises three views of life in the city of all cities, with segments directed by Woody Allen, Francis Coppola, and Martin Scorsese. The best of the three is Scorsese's "Life Lessons", about an artist (played by Nick Nolte) who uses his hyper-success to lure beautiful, young, aspiring artists to serve as his assistant/lovers. It's an astute portrait of the nature of the New York art world. In "Life Without Zoe", Coppola portrays the life of the privileged daughter of a world-renowned flautist, whose adventures on the Upper East Side (in the upper echelons of society) play like something approaching a cartoon. Woody Allen finishes up the film with his "Oedipus Wrecks", a typical Allen number about a successful New York lawyer who's still hounded by his mother--the title tells you all you need to know. Though stronger segments to complement Scorsese's would have made the movie as a whole much more interesting and enjoyable, it does at least provide an accurate glimpse of life in the Big Apple. --James McGrath, Amazon.com

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
NEW YORK STORIES comprises three short films set in New York, directed by Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Woody Allen. Scorsese directs "Life Lessons," in which painter Nick Nolte plays an abstract painter trying to save his relationship with Rosanna Arquette. Francis Ford Coppola directs "Life Without Zoe," which stars Heather McComb as a young schoolgirl who lives alone at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel while her parents (Talia Shire and Giancarlo Giannini) globetrot around the world. Precocious Zoe is lovingly watched over by her butler, Hector (Don Novello), until her parents return home one day with a surprising announcement. Sofia Coppola co-wrote the script with her father. The final segment is "Oedipus Wrecks," a classic Woody Allen piece about a Jewish nebbish who is a bit of a momma's boy.

Customer Reviews

New York's finest
When I picked up my copy of New York Stories, I immediately purchased it. I thought, "currently three of the best auteurs on one film - excellent"! But, when I watched it, I felt slightly disappointed. You see, it isn't such a bad collection of short movies, but I expected three rip-roaring shorts that would knock my socks off. It didn't happen. I expected three directors competing amongst themselves, to show what is best in American film. But it didn't quite turn out that way. Woody Allen's film is great, and the best - classic Woody, you could say. If you enjoy his movies, you will not be dissapointed. But, I suppose that's the benefit of being a director of comedies and starring yourself as the main character in most of your films: Comedies often work when not too long, hence all his films being approximately 90 minutes long; and, there's no need for character development with Woody, as you know what to expect - neurosis personified. Second would be Scorcese's short. A neat, solid film, with Scorcese's familiar style splashed all over. Nick Nolte is very good, and the story is decent enough. But I couldn't help feeling that the story could have been better if it was actually a normal 2-hour film, as it seems to be lacking in some areas. The story felt as if it needed more background, as it felt as if the characters needed more build-up to define more thoroughly the type of people they were. But, all in all a nice little movie. Francis-Ford Coppola's short is the let-down in this collection. The story has it's cute bits, and the main character, a rich, young girl, is played excellently by the youthful actress. But I felt as if the movie was trying to be too cute. Coppola has never made a movie of this type, with this kind of story, and it shows. I was expecting a thriller when I saw his name on the box, but I imagine he felt he couldn't reasonably expect a decent thriller in inside 30-40 minutes. All in all, a nice little package, especially if you're fans of Scorcese's or Woody Allen's films. But, it wasn't all that it could have been coming from three of the best - if not THE best - in current American directorial talent.

Satisfying sandwich with a sickly filling
New York Stories is made up of three short films by three directors, Martin Scorcese, Francis Ford Coppola and Woody Allen, who have all had a long love affair with New York in their films. Martin Scorcese's film, `Life Lessons', follows an artist played by Nick Nolte as he paints his masterpiece, spurned on by his tempestuous relationship with his live-in apprentice/muse and object of obsession. Some may find this film somewhat pretentious, but I found it visually and emotionally absorbing and I really enjoyed Scorcese's use of the camera in showing the artist's work. Coppola's story, `Life Without Zoe', is by far the worst of the trio. It is self-indulgent and the only point of note is that it represents Sofia Coppola's first writing credit as co-writer with her father. Sofia recently directed the beautifully poised rites of passage film `The Virgin Suicides', which represented her own transition from the shadow of her father to recognition of being a talent in her own right. Woody Allen's film, Oedipus Wrecks, is by far the best of the trilogy. Permeated with his trademark neuroses and razor-sharp wit, Oedipus Wrecks is about a single Jewish New Yorker (played by Allen) whose mother is constantly trying to get him to settle down with a nice Jewish girl. His mother then disappears (or dies, I can't remember which) only to reappear as a giant disembodied head in the New York sky, where she proceeds to discuss her child's life (complete with baby photo's). This is one of my favourite Woody Allen films, and on the strength of this I am surprised he doesn't make more short films. It is brilliantly Freudian, sharply observed and hilarious, despite the fact that this evidently represents something of a nightmare, not only for Allen's neurotic character but possibly for the director himself. Brilliant. Buy this film on the strength of the third segment.

Woody shines
Allen's contribution is quite hilarious and loveable.
Scorcese - yes, a bit pretentious but really a very honest portrayal of artistic angst... maybe.
Coppola - pointless [...].