Sunday in New York

Directed by Peter Tewksbury, Sunday in New York follows Jane Fonda’s Eileen Tyler as she arrives unannounced at her brother’s (Cliff Robertson’s Adam) apartment – with complications ensuing after Eileen meets a handsome writer (Rod Taylor’s Mike) on a city bus. Filmmaker Tewksbury, working from a screenplay by Norman Krasna, delivers a briskly-paced and perpetually entertaining comedy that benefits substantially from its engaging, charismatic performances, as Fonda offers up an irresistibly lighthearted performance that’s more than matched by costars Robertson and Taylor – with the palpable chemistry between Fonda and Taylor undoubtedly standing as an ongoing highlight within the proceedings. (The meet-cute between Eileen and Mike is nothing short of terrific, ultimately.) The picture’s feel-good atmosphere is heightened by a midsection that boasts several laugh-out-loud funny scenarios and set-pieces, including (and especially) a hilarious stretch wherein Eileen forces Mike to pretend to be Adam (and vice versa), while the upbeat, satisfying closing stretch ensures that Sunday in New York concludes on an exceedingly positive note – with the end result a better-than-average romcom that feels far more frank and contemporary than one might’ve initially anticipated.

***1/2 out of ****