Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York

A really good movie. Much better "young woman finding herself in the big city" than was "Frances Ha," or even "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (thought that obviously has other qualities). Patient, intelligent, warm, and funny, with enough conflict and growth to make it interesting and rewarding. I have an advantage in that I haven't read the book, so I can take the movie at face value. And from that vantage it works. Jeannie Berlin is wonderful, with the same ability to own the camera whenever she's on screen that she displayed last year in "Café Society". When she wants to look like a fish out of water, escaping an overbearing mother by moving to NYC, that's what you see. Awkward, unsure of herself, without any real outward appeal. But when she's supposed to be beautiful, indeed she is - you can't take your eyes off of her.

I happened to live in NYC at the time that this movie takes place, and the feel is just right.

My wife has been looking for a copy of this for years, and finally our daughter hunted one down on the "Loving The Clasics" label, whatever that might be. And it's in its original aspect ratio!