Noted and Martin Scorsese will be bringing a surprise new documentary to in two weeks on January 8. Pretend It’s a City, about Scorsese’s longtime friend author Fran Lebowitz, is a “furiously funny guidebook every New Yorker has at one point wished for.”
In the context of quarantine viewing, the film–which has Lebowitz wander around NYC and offer her observations and philosophies on her surroundings–looks to unintentionally double as a historical document of what life was like in New York before the pandemic. Check out the trailer below to get a taste of the movie’s free-wheeling flavor.
The official synopsis offers a bit more shading and context for the film: “Pretend It’s a City checks in with a classic urban voice on subjects ranging from tourists, money, subways and the arts to the not-so-simple act of walking in Times Square. (There is a right way to do it.) Along the way, Lebowitz’s own past comes into focus: a life marked by constant curiosity and invigorating independence.”
The film also stands as an unusual entry in Scorsese’s filmography. While known for being a director who does not often make sequels, Pretend It’s a City is a follow-up to 2010’s Public Speaking. Public Speaking was another fly-on-the-wall documentary about Lebowitz, only–as the title suggests–composed of interviews and clips from various speaking engagements.
Pretend It’s a City will hit Netflix on January 8, 2021. Scorsese has , some of which are .
