Synopsis
Affectionate portrait of Timothy "Speed" Levitch, a tour guide for Manhattan's Gray Line double-decker buses.
1998 Directed by Bennett Miller
Affectionate portrait of Timothy "Speed" Levitch, a tour guide for Manhattan's Gray Line double-decker buses.
Bennett Miller’s documentary is both an ode to New York City and to one of its eccentric citizens who cruises around the streets delivering idiosyncratic tour guides in an open top bus. The film follows the fast-talking, effeminate and nasal-toned Timothy ‘Speed’ Levitch as he philosophises about life and the city whilst delivering a dizzying guide about the Big Apple to his dumbstruck passengers.
Shot in grainy black and white and opening with a Gershwin number, this is a film that romanticises the city of New York much like the work of Woody Allen. Although remaining focused on Levitch’s tours and his own personal life, Miller’s documentary also explores the past and present of a living and constantly evolving city.…
Sentimental tours through a world brimming with personality, mirrored by an equally busy mind, an osmotic product of growth as much as the city's monolithic armaments. The Observer's Effect makes documentation particularly difficult, but the sheer sincerity reaching forward presents a wholly natural unfiltered glimpse of an introverted grasp of global change, a refusal to cooperate with gridlocked tedium despite crushing anxiety and self-doubt, and inspirational division from the unnecessary roots.
“Civilization is the molestation of everything we ever could be, a giant repression melting into suppression, so that you never say what you mean.”
A fascinating character piece. A personal portrait of New York presented through the lens of an eccentric Levitch.
The Cruise is a documentary with an interesting premise, but not that good execution. The subject matter is Tim "Speed" Levitch, who is an interesting man. The problem is, this would work if it was a podcast. As a movie, it is not that good. At times, I was browsing Reddit while the movie was on and was just listening to the movie. And it's better that way in my opinion.
Timothy "Speed" Levitch, our guide through the streets of Manhattan speaks at one point about a time where he felt that the city he loves was in the progress of divorcing him. Me own relationship with NYC pales in comparison. At most she's that girl you, and about everyone else, have a crush on in high school. You know, the one that doesn't even know that you exist, only dates older guys and never even gives you a fleeting glance.
My one and only visit to the city came this summer, not that she noticed. Three days was not even close to being enough. This documentary on the other hand, is a great substitute but now I wish I'd seen…
decent documentary showing you the POV of a unique person.
also I've now watched all films Bennett Miller has directed. Patiently waiting for his next film.
Tim "Speed" Levitch idiosyncratically and kinetically embodies New York City in Bennett Miller's equally brisk documentary The Cruise. Emoting bus cruises all over the Big Apple, his long curly hair dancing with the bus' breeze, poems, random curiosities, and inspiring architectural descriptions are abound in Levitch's tour. Miller tries to keep up with all his theories and feelings and ideals, drawing up a portrait of a completely unique, slightly sad, partially silly, and perhaps mad man who lives to experience the world around him while exploring its beauty. The chaotic pulchritude that both men extract from their environments is quite stirring, despite the fact that the video cinematography is very blurred and often doesn't allow its viewers to fully witness…
I knew nothing about Timothy Levitch before watching Bennett Miller's debut feature, The Cruise, but after watching it, I want to know everything about the man. The documentary captures the musings, monologues, and eccentricities of the man affectionally known as "Speed" as he dashes around NYC, providing historical color commentary from the second-story of a Gray Line double-decker bus where he works as a tour guide and pseudo annalist. Miller understands the value of a captivating subject (see Capote and Foxcathcher), so it makes perfect sense for him to capture Levitch in his natural habitat, feeding off of the images that the city gives him.
Miller gives Levitch free rein during the films runtime and it's what really helps this…
"The Twin Towers. Sometimes I like to spin in between the two towers and you make yourself dizzy and then you look up and it looks like the buildings are falling in on top of you. Yeah It's amazing, I recommend that, it's fun."
If only he knew.
american nardwuar takes you on a tour of new york city. bennett miller founded his whole career on dudes with funny voices
Timothy is a person that I worry is slowly being crushed by the homogeneity of New York City, and of the world. A Beat poet, a Jewish intellectual, an eccentric, a romantic. Maybe I’m just nostalgic, and the line between performance and authenticity is so blurred that Timothy is purposefully situating himself within that tradition. Either way. It made me feel wistful for something that feels like it’s slipping through my fingers.
As a character study, this is a fascinating portrait of a Gen X New Yorker who is so ensconced and enmeshed in his home city that he is almost literally its ambassador to dozens if not hundreds of visitors to it daily.
It is easy to see why someone would think Timothy 'Speed' Levitch to be a compelling subject for a documentary and the stints of him doing "the tour" are engaging and entertaining... but once he begins to unfurl his personal philosophies, I begin to find him a bore, quite honestly, as though he's performing for the cameras than recounting his deepest, innermost thoughts and feelings.
When all is said and done, though, he's an erudite enough scholar of New York from a bygone era that myself, as a lifelong Midwesterner, cannot possibly fathom or connect with on this particular level.
decent documentary showing you the POV of a unique person.
also I've now watched all films Bennett Miller has directed. Patiently waiting for his next film.
Sentimental tours through a world brimming with personality, mirrored by an equally busy mind, an osmotic product of growth as much as the city's monolithic armaments. The Observer's Effect makes documentation particularly difficult, but the sheer sincerity reaching forward presents a wholly natural unfiltered glimpse of an introverted grasp of global change, a refusal to cooperate with gridlocked tedium despite crushing anxiety and self-doubt, and inspirational division from the unnecessary roots.
Black and white was an excellent and almost required choice.
The character being ‘studied’ seems to miraculously balance the line between annoying, ill, ridiculous and endearing ... almost lovable
A pure gem of a documentary following a very particular bus tour guide giving most unconventional tours around New York - what a character ! Totally anti conformist, brilliant, a pure poet...As crazy as this city used to be ! Loved his analysis about Central Park, the grid plan, the crazy urbanisation...
An amazing character portrait of a brilliant and inspiring character of New York City. Loved this.
Remarkable stuff, a trip back to 1998 and the first Manhattan I explored as a teenager. Speed Levitch is an unforgettable subject.
Sometimes all you need to make a good documentary is to find a really fascinating subject (or at least a quirky one) and just point the camera at them for an hour. Clarke figured this out with Portrait of Jason and Miller find a similar subject with Timothy “Speed” Levitch. If you want to experience the mindset of a New Yorker and the city itself this is a good doc for that.
Very interesting guy, although I can barely believe it’s the same director as Moneyball and Foxcatcher.
A documentary about a peculiar but interesting New York bus tour guide, Timothy "Speed" Levitch. Not sure all his information is accurate, but he's a fascinating conversationalist.
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