this movie be a pleasant surprise that return faith in american movie and the faith that have be suffer for a long while and recover just rarely by tim burton work or movie like eternal sunshine . we especially u who live outside usa have be expose to so much hollywood vain and shallow and plastic movie in range from superhero action violence and funless teen comedy to the bad movie blasphemy remake and that we use to forget that there be small movie untouched by hollywood lethal sauce . even masterpiece like big fish and edward scissorhand and chocolate and green mile ( or already mention eternal sunshine of spotless mind ) have a clear hollywood sign and and after all those rambos and american pie and comic base blockbuster and remake of french movie ( what be additionally ironic because average american movie consumer would rather see a rattlesnake on the floor than french movie on the screen ) this touch of hollywood become odious and what be a tragic decline for this old temple of movie . just few decade ago the touch of hollywood style be the best praise a movie could be give . adrift in manhattan be more european style than any american movie i have see for a long while while even more and it be more european style than many european movie make in last two decade . too many european movie maker make movie to fit into hollywood standard and hop it will sell good while now and american author teach europe a lesson how good a movie can exist without hollywood sugar and false glamour and forced tear . the basic thing that connect main character in the movie be loneliness . though set on manhattan we do not get the feeling that the big city be the prime suspect for their loneliness and they would probably be lonely everywhere on earth . not only that and but somehow new york ease their pain and help them find each other and find them the way to tomorrow . and this be one of those thing that be so often in europe and a kind of love story between director and his city and an ode and praise to it and something that american author so rarely give u . the second feeling mutual to the character ( besides loneliness ) be guilt . they all carry a burden of old mistake on their conscience even if they aren not really guilty ( from our point of view ) . and their loneliness grow not only because this burden press them too hard and not only because they be ashamed and but mostly because they be afraid to share it with anybody . and only learn to open their soul to another person whoever it may be and the more unknown stranger the easy it can be do can give them hope and a chance for redemption and leave this guilt behind them . share a burden reduce the pressure . and a we follow these people and we will see how some relation terminate because of total loss of communication and while others appear and develop once the shell soften . there be no breathtaking performance in the movie and but all the actor make a good job . personally and i find dominic chianese a bit above the others and but it be a most interesting character so the role offer more chance and more challenge . the unobtrusive music be well align to beautiful photography and camera love both the actor and the city . this movie give u a picture of some other new york than we usually see and and a completely different picture of american movie than we be use to watch .