MovieChat Forums > The Pleasure of Being Robbed (2008) Discussion > Great NY Indie!

Great NY Indie!

posted 16 years ago by bryaninaustin
5 replies | jump to latest

I saw THE PLEASURE OF BEING ROBBED at SXSW 2008 and thought it was one of the best films I screened at the festival this year. It's a small movie about a young woman (Hendricks) who wanders around NYC, stealing, and meeting interesting characters along the way, including Josh (Safdie) who she drives to Boston in a stolen Volvo. I loved the film for its naturalism and understated emotion. It's really a fascinating character study and moving portrait of the city. I thought it was wholly original and personal. Hendricks is totally captivating, curious, and elusive. Safdie is great both behind and in front of the camera. I hope this film does well and that Safdie makes another feature soon. I loved it and can't recommend it enough!

[–] bryaninaustin 16 years ago

I just saw online that this movie got distribution with IFC Films. GREAT! Check it out if you get a chance.

[–] ranndino 15 years ago

I did just check it out and would like to know what am I missing. The only pleasure I felt was the one of being robbed of $6.99 it cost to order it on demand.

[–] Tom_Mikos 15 years ago

It captures a certain NYC feel. As a born and bred New Yorker, I knew off the bat that the director was as well.

[–] emo_ville2002 14 years ago

"Hendricks is totally captivating, curious, and elusive."

Huh? We must have seen a different film. This film was extremely tedious and the character was NOT captivating in any way, shape or form. I simply wanted to slap her smug pimply face and force her to get a job or to do something productive, like volunteer at a soup kitchen or an animal shelter...not steal people's pets!

What was so "captivating", the fact that she constantly caused pain to others?! "Elusive"? Sure, sticking her grubby hands into the Central Park mom's purse, in full view of others, was so elusive!

No, it was more like: New Yorkers are so busy and in their own heads so much of the time....they rarely have time to get the full picture of their entire surroundings, That was apparent in the scene when she so easily slipped the red shoulder bag off the woman's shoulder. Sure it was absurd, but it might happen.

As a native New Yorker, I was pretty much insulted every step of the way! Mostly because there was nothing charming about this character which would have caused any of the victims to fall prey to her petty thievery.

[–] thepartydjz 13 years ago

"It has a NYC feel" Exactly why I stopped visiting that garbage dump.