As the creative mind behind a trifecta of well done indie films, Gary King breaks back into the independent scene with his best work to date. As an introspective glance into the lives of a handful of big city residents, New York Lately does what no film has succeeded in doing since Clerks: it’s about absolutely nothing, and it’s entertaining from title to credits.

The first preconceived notion that you’ll find broken and strewn across the floor is this: New York Lately doesn’t present you with a bunch of archetypal characters; every new role that king brought into the spotlight was unique. Very early on I found myself identifying with each and every character, being able to empathize and feel what it was they were trying to evoke in their performances. The casting was absolutely wonderful, each actor slipping into their roles like it was written for them.

The next one? Minimally funded films don’t have to look like they were shot with a camera found in the back of an old porn store. When my editor first told me that he had an indie flick for me to check out, PTSD flashbacks from grainy Sundance rejects bubbled to the surface, and suddenly I knew how draft dodgers felt. Much to my pleasant surprise, however, the camera work was astounding. For the first time in awhile I felt like a fly on the wall, actually observing everything that was going on instead of being some unwitting Kubrick-esque participant in another Rambo sequel

As much as I’d like to spend the next few hundred words giving you guys a rundown of the plot, I trust in everyone’s ability to IMDB or Google it. Instead, I’ll keep this one short. For a low budget independent film, New York Lately did exactly what it set out to do: it makes you think about the effect you have from a microcosmic perspective, the effect that you have on the lives around you, the lives you touch on a day to day basis without ever even realizing you’ve left a footprint.

Rating:

Tags: Clerks, Gary King, independent, New York Lately, sundance