Harry Lehman is a man out of time. How do I know this? Because throughout The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, you’ll be shown and told this, in roundabout ways, over and over again. And for a film lasting at only 88 minutes with credits, that doesn’t leave much room for anything else. Thankfully writer-director Noah Segan has a seasoned pro in John Turturro (who plays Harry) to lend the film and the character some much needed heft that’s otherwise missing.

It’s no spoiler to say that Harry makes his living as a professional grifter – but instead of running cons on shmucks, his bread and butter comes from lifting valuables from unsuspecting New Yorkers before taking them to his longtime friend and pawn shop owner Ben (Steve Buscemi). We don’t get much insight regarding how Harry got involved in this life, but Turturro’s presence makes it clear he wouldn’t have it any other way. The Only Living Pickpocket in New York shouldn’t be listed as Turturro’s greatest performance, given his roles in films like Barton Fink, Quiz Show, and Do the Right Thing, but it’s a welcome reminder that he remains one of the great actors working today.

Consider Harry’s relationship with his wife Rosie (Karina Arroyave), who’s essentially in a vegetative state and needs round-the-clock care. Again, we don’t learn much about their relationship or their history, but we can infer so much through their routine together and through Turturro’s presence while caring for her. We also get the sense that Harry’s golden age has long passed, when a pickpocket could make a reasonable living in the Big Apple. Today, Harry’s lucky to get $150 for a watch. There’s an interesting through-line in his friendship with the soon-to-be-retired detective Warren (Giancarlo Esposito), as both face down the ends of their respective careers on either side of the law.

His life, and the events of The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, take a turn once he comes across Dylan (Will Price) and steals a duffel bag from his vintage car. Though he’s able to nab a high-end watch and a USB MacGuffin – which Ben can’t upload because he somehow only has a computer that my parents first used when I was a kid – it sets in motion a series of events in which Harry learns that Dylan is a connected man who desperately wants the flash drive back. The rest of The Only Living Pickpocket in New York unfolds as a more leisurely crime thriller from the 70s, with Harry desperately trying to salvage his livelihood and relationships without anyone getting hurt.

If nothing else, Segan’s film works best as a kind of travelogue for New York, showcasing the more obscure and less glamorous pockets of the city that aren’t often seen on screen. And yes, the film was actually filmed in NYC, not Toronto or a similar city designed to fool those whose only familiarity with the city is in film. This palpability, and the sense of loneliness inherent in Harry’s life, goes a long way in adding some needed texture within Pickpocket.

Still, one can’t help but wish for more urgency within Segan’s screenplay – though Gary Lionelli’s upbeat, jazzy score helps a bit. Harry has accepted that his useful days are limited, and while this can lead to some worthwhile character moments, there isn’t enough thematic weight to sustain a feature film. It’s not that Segan is too young to understand the plight of our impending irrelevancy as we reach a certain age; plenty of great films have been made on the subject by talented, young filmmakers. It’s just that The Only Living Pickpocket in New York simply isn’t propulsive or deep enough to sustain the thesis.

Sony Pictures Classics will release The Only Living Pickpocket in New York in theaters on October 30.

OSCAR POTENTIAL:

• John Turturro has, improbably, never been nominated for an Oscar. It’s that long overdue narrative, along with Sony Pictures Classics’ backing, that will likely propel him to a nomination.