‘New York, I Love You’ chock full of stars, magic

Orlando Bloom in “New York, I Love You.” IMDB photo

Here’s a bright, sparkling, and really magical comedy-drama anthology film that has been hiding since 2008, it was received with pans and raves the way Modigliani and Van Gogh once were. Give it a look.

It consists of 11 short films, each one different, each directed by one of 11 directors and chock full of stars.

Each one features a big name, two, or three, like Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Chris Cooper, Andy García, Christina Ricci, John Hurt, Robin Wright, Julie Christie, Ethan Hawke, James Caan and Eli Wallach — and dozens more.

These brilliant little shorts are all about love and its many faces like García conning Hayden Christensen into a ballet of picking pockets in an afternoon bar.

The sunshine of Brooklyn, magic in the moonlight of Manhattan, and mystery in all the other boroughs of the greatest city in the world.

All of the stars, some Oscar winners, pop in and out with introductions. It’s one of those late-night popcorn and beer films that will have you screaming “Look, that’s Bradley Cooper,” and “Isn’t that Robin Wright and Eli Wallach,” or “Wait until you see Shia LaBeouf’s eerie, haunting ghost tale set in an old New York hotel as a crippled bellhop or is he?”

And who is the gorgeous middle-aged guest? One of the stars of the old, big screen is the guest. You won’t recognize her.

There are dozens of quirky, delightful mysteries starring Blake Lively, Caan and Olivia Thirlby, in the most hilarious, bizarre prom dates ever filmed.

I guarantee that you will not be prepared for the ending of that one.

Cloris Leachman and Wallach appear as you have never seen them before.

Portman, Xan Cassavetes, Anthony Minghella and Israel Horovitz write. Brett Ratner, Shuni Iwai and Wen Jiang, among other greats, direct.

It’s magic, trust me. Prepare to be seduced.

“New York, I Love You” is streaming on Prime Video, AMC+.

J.P. Devine of Waterville is a former stage and screen actor.

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