The Cruise

A well done, extremely funny documentary that leaves you wondering if it is actually staged. The "plot" of a neurotic NYC tour guide operator is full of acute observations of life, by a person who may or may not be deranged. He is a romantic, but not in a classical sense. Rather, he fills you with a sad humor and made me draw a comparison to another misguided societal interpreter, Ignatius Reilly (of Confederacy of Dunces fame).

I loved the idea of this film! I love New York and stories about the creative and eccentric people that live there. But from the opening scene I knew that his nasal whine would irritate me, and it did. I made it through this movie even though I was tempted to turn it off a few times. There were several moments that were amusing and artistic (several comments on the tour bus; spinning in between the Twin Towers), but overall I found it to be annoying and pretentious. I guess I am getting bored with unambitious schlubs whining about the world and how much it sucks. It just seems trite to me at this point. There is a difference between living in a rebellious state, and TALKING endlessly about it like you are the most important person in the universe. And the guy in this film seemed like the latter to me. Many of his monologues were just ridiculous, and I did not care about his point of view at all. I more enjoyed watching the people around him, than him.

This little film could also have been a great story for The New Yorker. When I saw Tim "Speed" Levitch, I thought, Wow, I know this guy! He's every New Yorker I've ever met - tough, effete, gruff, wise, silly, profane, provincial, cosmopolitan, neurotic, eloquent, voluble, accessible, insecure, indomitable...

A few points:

I hope Speed wasn't fired by Grey Line (like he was afraid he'd be) for his choice comments and his non-regulation livery.

Grey Line should wise up and charge a premium for the "Speed Tour" and give Tim Levitch a fitting raise.

More than anything else, "The Cruise" is a portrait of a natural-born poet in his element.

This movie is just fascinating to me. It is essentially just a documentary that follow a quirky New York tour guide around. Then you begin to listen to what he is saying and you get under his skin in a weird way. You realize that here is a man with an absolute joy of life and a philosophy that truly does work for him. As strange as he may be, we should all be so lucky to have it all figured as as he seems to. He speaks in a flowing stream-of-consciousness style and seems to enjoy using multi-syllabic words. We watch as he lectures his tour groups on various aspects of New York history and landmarks and on only one occasion do we see anyone sort of laughing and mocking. No one else seems fazed by him at all. Is this just New York? He is a philosopher of the city. His philosophy reflects living in an urban jungle of steel and concrete. He feels the city as a Native American might "feel" the woods. This movie is highly recommended. Seek it out.

Timothy "Speed" Levitch is more than just a New York crank, he's a spokesman for the genX drop out philosophy; find the space you are happy in, forget the rest. Forget the conventions, forget the rules. He's cruising because he's in love with everything that is creative and destructive in himself. That's what a romantic does. And he is the quintessential modern romantic.

The Cruise has been criticized as for being a purely sympathetic portrait of Levitch-- but that's what makes it so exhilarating; we are brought to Levitch's way of seeing; we don't come to judge, but to cruise.

When I try to think of flaws in this movie, I come up with virtues: that we don't get enough, that Levitch's secrets are not revealed, that we are left wondering about the reactions of those pastel-visored tourists... these mysteries actually augement the movie's charm.

I should have given it a nine.