a sparkle of cruising energy

I think I love you, Timothy "Speed" Levitch

Last year, D introduced me to American actor, speaker, author, voice actor and tour guide extraordinaire Tim Levitch by making me watch the 1998 documentary film made by Bennett Miller, The Cruise. The attraction was almost instantaneous. His fast talking style, ease in use of high falluting words, and evident passion for NYC struck my fancy. In no time, I was reveling in a slight school girl crush on this amazingly fascinating man.

The brilliance of the film, in my opinion, is how Miller captured the equally beautiful and captivating characters of Levitch and New York City. The viewer is given a fresh new take of New York - seen through the eyes of Levitch himself whose relationship with the city is often likened to a torrid love affair. In The Cruise, New York is "a living organism" and Levitch's relationship with this living organism is "as vitriolic as a relationship between oneself and any human being."

I, personally, found the film highly stimulating - visually, emotionally and intellectually. Visually - New York has always fascinated me. It's one of the cities I'd like to explore by foot; to wander around the streets and quite possibly admire or hate the Grid plan. Emotionally - Levitch stirs up passion. His evident love for NYC makes you want to establish a love/hate relationship with a city of your own. You almost feel like he quintessentially embodies the character of the city that he lives in. Intellectually - In the first 5 minutes of the film, you can pretty much tell if you want to keep listening to what this guy has to say or cover your ears to keep that high-pitched, nasal voice from resonating in your eardrums. I'll admit that there will be a point wherein you'll stop and think: What the F is he talking about? But his quirky insights can draw you in and leave you contemplating on whether you want to appreciate the flower or let the flower appreciate you.

Here's a snippet of the film. But I highly suggest you watch it in its entirety.




After 9/11, Speed Levitch came out in another film by Richard Linklater, who you might remember as the brains behind Dazed and Confused and Waking Life. The new film is called Live From Shiva's Dance Floor, which many has claimed as The Cruise Part 2. Go watch it. 

[Photo from IMDb]