Top Films That Are Based in New York City

by Jack Thomson blogger

New York City has a cinematic identity that has never failed to mesmerise. Being the financial capital of the world, there is another side to the city that boasts of art and cinema. There are a number of stories that have evolved from NYC. And some of the films below are to watch out for, to get the essence of the place and its greatness which has inspired some of these films.

Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961)

The Audrey Hepburn starrer classic, Breakfast At Tiffany’s is an adaptation of a Truman Capote novella of the same name. The book and thus the film is as much about the character, Holly Golightly as it is about New York City. The sense of NYC infuses a staggeringly depressing yet charismatic story about a high-class fashionable girl (Audrey Hepburn) and a writer (George Peppard).

The film remains to be one of the most iconic films of Audrey Hepburn’s career which was supposedly not written for her, but Marilyn Monroe.

Taxi Driver (1976)

The film that will always leap through your mind when a yellow cab pulls is Taxi Driver. Martin Scorsese’s most of the early films were set in New York, and with Taxi Driver, he presents New York City as the star. The film is shot with warmth and nostalgia and Robert De Niro inches his perfection to the brim, justifying that character that Scorsese wrote for Travis.

Manhattan (1979)

Every New York inspired film has to have a Woody Allen movie, and the most famous one is Manhattan. This romantic comedy-drama film tells the story of a television writer and his dating affairs. The film is about finding love and happiness in a city where nothing seems impossible.

Manhattan won three Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing and Best Screenplay.

The Apartment (1960)

Although very little of New York is seen in this Billy Wilder classic, yet the complex power dynamics of the city can be felt in every frame. Most of the film takes place inside an Upper West Side apartment that explores the plight of a man (Jack Lemmon) at an insurance firm, who loans his place out to his bosses for their romantic affairs, assuming this would help him get a job promotion. Things start to change when he falls for an elevator operator (Shirley MacLaine).

Birdman (2014)

Birdman is a classic example of films that have been inspired by New York City, especially the Broadway that is considered as the supporting character. The story is about an ageing actor who was best known for playing Birdman, the superhero in the 1990s. He tries desperately hard to gain respect by starring in a Broadway play.

The film won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography out of a total of nine nominations.

West Side Story (1961)

Being the land of Broadway and bright lights, New York City as a setting lends itself perfectly to the musicals.based on 1957 musical, West Side Story, the film is also a reboot of William Shakespeare’s romantic classic, Romeo and Juliet.

The film is set in the Upper West Side, and the story is about the rivalry between two teenage gangs who come from different ethnicities. New York City has inspired filmmakers for generations. Any list of best New York-based films will have movies that would range from the early 20th century till today.

Source:- Films Based in New York City