Whether it happened by chance or design, the sketches have more than just New York in common: all three have something to do with middle age, as well as with romantic relationships.

Only Woody Allen seems to have understood what is possible in a featurette.

It's still too early to tell whether the cheering New York Stories will be a box-office hit, but one can hope.

Scorsese's contribution, on the other hand, is a superbly controlled drama focusing on artist Nick Nolte's relationship with his muse, Rosanna Arquette.