Izzy et Sam

Izzy (Amy Irving) is a talented bookstore employee in New York City. Although it is a low paying position, she rubs elbows with some of the finest writers in the country, by setting up book talks. Despite her success, she is in her thirties and is not married. Izzy is fine with this but her Jewish grandmother is appalled that her sweet relative does not have a husband. Therefore, grandmother arranges for a matchmaker to search out some candidates for Izzy. The first one is a pickle vendor! What was grandma thinking?

This film, set partly in an old, traditional Jewish neighborhood in Manhattan, is a movie fan's delight. Irving, charming and pretty, sails right through her role with absolute believability. The rest of the cast is just perfect, including an early role for David Hyde Pierce. What a wonder, also, to get a glimpse of a preserved neighborhood, where time moves slowly. Those who adore romantic comedies must not put a viewing of this movie off any longer. Try catching it at the library or video store today.

It might be ten years since last I saw Crossing Delancey. We wandered into the video store tonight and were more than desperate to find just one movie we were willing to take a chance on, and I spotted this gem.

Seriously: this one ages well, like a good wine. It's got only better - by that I mean that after time, one picks up the subtleties even more.

It's just sensational.

The other movie we rented is a Disney action flick. We're waiting to put it in, because we know we are going to be disappointed after this, and we want to savour it a little while more.

That's about the best you can say about any movie.

10 out of 10.

This is my favorite movie of all time with an unbelievable cast of great character actors. I remember a New York reviewer at the time calling Amy Irving's performance "lukewarm" and I could not disagree more. Irving's performance and character epitomize the thirty-something single New York working woman trying to move up in the world. Irving's character is completely enraptured by the experience of being the book manager of a very prestigious uptown neighborhood book store and falls for the good-looking, European writer who is completely enraptured with himself! Riegert is the nice "pickleman" who any girl knows would make a great husband but the fireworks just don't go off for the girl. Any woman can definitely relate to the dilemma of being attracted to the charming, good-looking rogue but when you get right down to it, it is the everyday "picklemen" who stay true and truly make the world go round.

And I must say that this film captures the city better than any movie I have yet to see complete with crazy singing woman in crowded narrow hot dog joint, midage man struggling to play handball in local park, elderly women learning self-defense at community Y. Classic New York stuff! I could go on and on but do note far out performances by Sylvia Miles as the tacky matchmaker and Rosemary Harris, the great English actress, in a cameo near the end.

This movie strikes me, even after all this time, as being better than it was given credit for. The slow unfolding of the developing relationship is very well done, the characters are interesting and believable, and the grandma is fantastic. My only complaint - it would be really interesting to see how those two people handled an ongoing relationship. Talk about two worlds coming together -

Interesting, touching movie about appearances vs. outcomes. Amy Irving effectively plays an insecure woman who prefers the company of "art" people because she thinks it makes her a better person. Her mother thinks she knows better.

I like that this movie takes its time without being boring. Riegert is excellent and has an understated charisma, but his character is a little too metaphorical to make the story work. And the choice Irving has to make is solved a little bit too conveniently for my taste. But it's so sincere and sweet without being sappy that its faults don't matter all that much.