New York City has inspired countless storytellers with its diversity and energy, yet there’s one subject that gets very little attention even though it preoccupies New Yorkers to no end: real estate. To paraphrase and reimagine the famous Benjamin Franklin quote about death and taxes: In New York, nothing could be said to be more uncertain than brokers and finding a new apartment.&nbsp;



These two realty elements are inextricably linked in the new movie “Notice To Quit,” forming the basis for a charming if slight entertainment. Centered on a sometime actor and realtor named Andy, the flick follows the character over the course of a frantic day as he attempts to sell/rent an apartment in order to pay for his own — to avoid an impending eviction. But the course of New York real estate never did run smooth, to recontextualize another famous phrase, and Andy must contend with his 10-year-old daughter Anna as she comes along to his appointments at various digs around town.



Anna is not the only impediment to his “making a sale”; sweltering weather, a broken cellphone, and even the available apartments themselves also present challenges. The agency Andy works for doesn’t provide him with the best listings, mainly rentals in older buildings, and he must distract prospective renters from some of the more uncomfortable aspects of these apartments. He also has an illegal side hustle: allowing a trio of thieves to steal appliances from empty apartments. After selling them a faulty dishwasher in the morning, they show up periodically throughout the day to threaten and coerce him.



Andy’s strained relationship with his daughter forms the heart of the story, and first-time feature film writer/director Simon Hacker smartly supplies them with banter that’s both entertaining and believable. Mr. Hacker also made astute choices when he cast Michael Zegen (from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) as Andy and newcomer Kasey Bella Suarez as Anna. Mr. Zegen certainly looks the part of a man having a tough day, with his harried expressions, bags under his eyes, and permanent five o’clock shadow. Yet he also gives Andy an appealing, puppyish quality that connects with Ms. Suarez’s young-but-wise-beyond-her-years demeanor.&nbsp;



When Anna rightly questions her father about his dishonest endeavors, which include avoiding payment for lunch via the old cockroach trick à la “Victor Victoria,” a breakdown occurs in their lovingly fractious father-daughter interactions. The hurt in Ms. Suarez’s eyes acutely conveys Anna’s longing to connect with her father, especially as she soon will be moving to Florida with her mother. Yet Andy flippantly refuses to take responsibility for anything, even for being her dad.



Another of director Hacker’s master strokes is his decision to shoot the film in 35 millimeter instead of digitally. The city and its streets look infinitely more colorful, vibrant, and “in-depth” thanks to Kodak film and the wide-lens format expertly deployed by cinematographer Mika Altskan. With the addition of a few iconic locations like Central Park, residents like comic legend Robert Klein, and sage New Yorkisms, “Notice To Quit” stands as a detailed love letter to the Big Apple.



One of the movie’s subplots involves Anna’s desire to see an ailing snow leopard at the zoo, and a parallel seems to be drawn between the cat and native New Yorkers. Mr. Hacker, though, muddles this metaphor by periodically showing animal rights activists protesting on behalf of the creature, a motif that grows dark during a violent encounter later in the film.&nbsp;



“Notice To Quit” works best when it affects a light, sentimental, whimsical tone as Andy and Anna breathlessly crisscross the city’s five boroughs. (A visual gag that gets a lot of mileage involves toothpaste billboard ads in which Andy’s face is consistently defaced.) Yet one can’t forget, as the movie would like you to, its themes of financial anxiety, stressful survival, and housing insecurity — ever-present concerns in the city that never sleeps.

Michael Zegen in 'Notice To Quit.'

‘Notice To Quit’ Declares Love for New York — Even Its Uncertain Real Estate Brokers

Writer/director Simon Hacker’s first feature film includes iconic locations like Central Park, residents like comic legend Robert Klein, and sage New Yorkisms.

‘Notice To Quit’ Declares Love for New York — Even Its Uncertain Real Estate Brokers | The New York Sun

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‘Notice To Quit’ Declares Love for New York — Even Its Uncertain Real Estate Brokers

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