Sidewalks Of New York (2001/ Paramount/ Special Edition)

An intricate web of relationships is examined by Ed Burns (THE BROTHERS McMULLEN, SHE'S THE ONE) in SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK. Burns, who also wrote and produced the film, stars as Tommy Reilly, a boy from Queens turned successful Manhattanite. After being kicked out of the apartment he shared with his girlfriend, he is back in the dating scene. When he meets a divorced schoolteacher (Rosario Dawson), the connections between the additional main characters in the ensemble--played by Stanley Tucci, Heather Graham, Brittany Murphy, and David Krumholz--are identified slowly but surely: a divorced couple, an adulterous married man and his mistress, and a doubting wife. Burns' look at relationships leaves no stone unturned as the main characters and their friends discuss their love lives. Filmed throughout New York City, the characters' stories are spliced together by their own personal monologues in documentary-style scenes. Well-delivered, witty, and humorous banter that is reminiscent of the works of Woody Allen keeps the story moving, as does the shooting technique of following behind the characters with the camera. Tucci, in particular, delivers a standout performance as a two-timing, lecherous dentist.