Novel Idea for an Affair: “The Only Living Boy in New York”

Thomas (Callum Turner) lives a privileged, literature-saturated New York City existence. His father (Pierce Brosnan) is a publisher; his mother (Cynthia Nixon) is a book lover; his mysterious, chatty neighbor (Jeff Bridges) is a novelist; and his father’s glamorous mistress Johanna (Kate Beckinsale) is a freelance editor. But when Thomas finds out about his father’s infidelity and begins stalking Johanna, the already fraught scenario becomes infinitely more complicated. While it occasionally tends toward preciousness — which is always a danger with work about writing and writers, the cast is uniformly excellent. And don’t worry, Simon & Garfunkel fans — the song from which the film takes its title is included. THE WORD: If you like The Only Living Boy in New York, you might also enjoy another exploration of youth and identity among NYC’s effete elite, 2002’s Igby Goes Down. COMING TO: Theaters