# Pretend It's a City (2021)

> Fran Lebowitz and Martin Scorsese stroll the streets of New York while she holds forth, with wit, on the city and its culture.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/96189

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 7
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Fran Lebowitz, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Alec Baldwin, Olivia Wilde
- TMDB rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13660958/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: witty, nostalgic, cerebral, adoring, thought provoking

## What critics say

Audiences broadly rate the documentary positively, appreciating Fran Lebowitz's witty, cerebral commentary on New York City.

## Synopsis

Pretend It's a City (2021) is an American documentary miniseries created for Netflix, following the wry writer, humorist and raconteur Fran Lebowitz as she walks the streets of New York City in conversation with filmmaker Martin Scorsese. Lebowitz, acerbic and endlessly opinionated, serves as the engine of each episode, riffing on the city's pop culture, manners, habits and history while Scorsese prompts and listens. Spike Lee and Alec Baldwin also appear as themselves, adding perspectives from filmmaking and public life. The seven half-hour episodes are a single loose arc rather than a case-of-the-week format, moving from one street corner and anecdote to the next as the city itself becomes the subject. The tone is cerebral yet warm, witty and nostalgic, with a fond, slightly grumbling affection for a New York that feels both vanished and enduring. Its portrait of urban life is intimate and conversational, shot in the city it celebrates. Viewers who enjoy the observational wit of Seinfeld, the cultural essays of Ken Burns' Jazz, or the contemplative city walks of Lost in Translation will find a similar pleasure in its talk-driven rhythm. A limited series for anyone who loves New York, sharp dialogue and thoughtful companionship.

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