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City by the Sea (2002)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
6 September 2002 (USA)
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Tagline:
When you're searching for a killer... the last suspect you want to see is your son.
Plot:
Vincent Lamarca, whose father was executed for a 1950s kidnapping of a child, grew up to become a police officer, only to see his own son become a murderer. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
(10 articles)
Franco Made A Success Of Homeless Weekend
(From WENN. 10 August 2008, 4:25 PM, PDT)
Pineapple Express
(From The AV Club. 7 August 2008, 3:35 PM, PDT)
(From WENN. 10 August 2008, 4:25 PM, PDT)
Pineapple Express
(From The AV Club. 7 August 2008, 3:35 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
not too bad...
more (149 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Robert De Niro | ... | Vincent LaMarca | |
| Frances McDormand | ... | Michelle | |
| James Franco | ... | Joey | |
| Eliza Dushku | ... | Gina | |
| William Forsythe | ... | Spyder | |
| Patti LuPone | ... | Maggie (as Patti Lupone) | |
| Anson Mount | ... | Dave Simon | |
| John Doman | ... | Henderson | |
| Brian Tarantina | ... | Snake | |
| Drena De Niro | ... | Vanessa Hansen | |
| Michael P. Moran | ... | Herb | |
| Nestor Serrano | ... | Rossi | |
| Matthew Cowles | ... | Arnie | |
| Linda Emond | ... | Margery | |
| Cyrus Farmer | ... | Carl |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
MPAA:
Rated R for language, drug use and some violence.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
108 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
USA:R (certificate #38840) |
Iceland:14 (original rating) |
Iceland:16 (video rating) |
Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) |
Malaysia:U (cut version) |
Portugal:M/12 (original rating) |
Singapore:M18 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:MA |
Brazil:16 |
Canada:14A |
Finland:K-15 |
Germany:12 |
Norway:15 |
Peru:14 |
Philippines:R-13 |
Spain:13 |
UK:15 (original rating) |
UK:18 (video rating) (2003) |
Canada:A (Ontario)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Both Robert De Niro (Vincent LaMarca) and William Forsythe (Spyder) have played Al Capone on screen. De Niro in The Untouchables (1987) movie, and Forsythe in "The Untouchables" (1993) TV show.
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Goofs:
Continuity: Joey sells his football ring but is still wearing it in subsequent scenes.
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Quotes:
Medical Examiner:
Give me a break, I had to jerk off twice this morning just to get my heart started!
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Soundtrack:
Bullet From A Gun
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (149 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for City by the Sea (2002)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| the real story, anyone? | psycheSC |
| I love this movie | Fredmovieguy |
| best one-liner in the movie | oliver-brett |
| Not Long Beach | facil560 |
| What ever happend to Joey ? | x-M-x |
| sheet music | hazylazydays |
Recommendations
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"City by the Sea" starring Robert DeNiro and Frances McDormand (Fargo & Almost Famous) is an exciting and heartfelt melodrama. Director Michael Caton-Jones proves himself with one of his greatest efforts to date, bouncing back from his previous disappointing and misdirected film "The Jackal." Caton-Jones displays a style all his own with stunning atmospheric poignancy. The city by the sea, to which the film refers to is Long Island, N.Y., a wonderfully lonely and dilapidated city to where junkie Jimmy Nova, (DeNiro's son) calls home.
DeNiro plays a well-respected cop with a terribly troubled past that seems to constantly haunt him. His ex-wife, played by Patti Lupone, struggles to get over the violence of their past relationship while his son, played by James Franco, is headed down the same path as DeNiro's father once was, that of an (alleged?) murderer. Jimmy Nova, as he's known around town mixes with the wrong crowd, as do most junkies, and one night finds himself struggling for his life, and before he knows it, stabbing and killing a high profile drug dealer. This relatively small act of self-defense cascades a sequence of irreversible events, which never seem to let up until the end. DeNiro, of course, is assigned to the case and unknowingly hunts down his own son who he hasn't seen or heard from in several years. Both father and son have moved on with their lives since their seperation, but still harbor intense emotional feelings for each other that seem to slowly emerge further and further into the film. To top it all off the two men are involved in complex relationships of their own which naturally complicates things further.
DeNiro's relationship with Frances McDormand seems quite convenient at times, but nonetheless shows the tenderness and compassion of both characters, while Franco's relationship feels more like a fling with multiple strings attached. In the end, both DeNiro and his son must face the issues that have plagued them for three generations and make one of the hardest decisions of their life.
Similar topics and themes in "City by the Sea", were explored in "Road to Perdition", however it is the way that they are explored that keeps the film feeling fresh and unique. Similar themes explored are the father-son relationship, the destructive path of violence and crime, and most importantly the will and courage to fight for a second chance at life. I was particularly impressed with the atmospheric mood of New York that Caton-Jones set from the beginning, reminiscent of Scorcese's "Taxi Driver", thus giving the film the reality that many recent Hollywood films tend to lack. The acting in this film is of the highest quality and will not be overlooked, contending with so