New York, New York

5/31/2025

Much is made of whether or not this is one of Martin Scorsese’s weaker efforts but I think that’s to appraise the wrong talent here. The star of the whole thing is the charismatic chanteuse “Francine” (Liza Minnelli). She a bit of a dreamer who encounters the opportunist sax player “Jimmy” (Robert De Niro) at a party in New York that is celebrating VJ Day in 1945. She isn’t much interested in the patter he has been trolling out to every woman he has met all evening, but a combination of circumstances see the two spending an increasing amount of time together and gradually falling in love. Both have their individual ambitions, too, though, and as she begins to find success thanks to a supportive producer and he likewise with his new jazz venue, their relationship is destined to be bumpy and