Reviews for the first series were positive, with " Radio Times " saying, " Taking New York has the glossiness and drama of " Made in Chelsea " with the likability and comedy of " The Only Way Is Essex "-and it's silly, fun and completely addictive ".
22.
In retrospective reviews, AllMovie described the film as " unexpectedly high on style " noting cinematography that had the " glossiness worthy of an Emmanuelle film " but that the film was also " depressingly low on substance ", noting the plot which " has a few surprises to offer ( the villain's comeuppance must be seen to be believed ) but the threadbare script fails to use its novel plot devices to their full potential and never builds interesting or believable characters . " The review also noted D'Amato's direction, which was described as " lacklustre " and " never establishes a comfortable pace and pads the film with momentum-killing travelogue footage of Hong Kong ."
23.
A separate " Daily Telegraph " review, this by critic Ed Lake, took a dissimilar stance, opining that that book is " pervaded by a vaguely distasteful glossiness ", and that " if Cleave is writing from great depths of feeling, he hides it well . " Lake deemed the book " faultlessly relevant, but ultimately cloying . " Another " Publishers Weekly " review was also less positive, calling the book " beautifully staged " but " haphazardly plotted ", and noting : " Cleave has a sharp cinematic eye, but the plot is undermined by weak motivations and coincidences . " Teeman of " The Times " felt that the book was overwritten, and wished " twistedly " that it had a less positive conclusion, commenting : " With every motive and action explicitly drawn, fleshed out and explained, there is no room for mystery, ambiguity or even tension ."
