Broken City (2013)

In a city rife with injustice, ex-cop Billy Taggart seeks redemption and revenge after being double-crossed and then framed by its most powerful figure: Mayor Nicholas Hostetler.

Director:

Allen Hughes

Writer:

Brian Tucker

Stars:

Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Wahlberg	...	Billy Taggart
Russell Crowe	...	Mayor Hostetler
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Cathleen Hostetler
Jeffrey Wright	...	Carl Fairbanks
Barry Pepper	...	Jack Valliant
Alona Tal	...	Katy Bradshaw
Natalie Martinez	...	Natalie Barrow
Michael Beach	...	Tony Jansen
Kyle Chandler	...	Paul Andrews
James Ransone	...	Todd Lancaster
Griffin Dunne	...	Sam Lancaster
Odessa Sykes	...	Secretary - Hostetler
Britney Theriot	...	Valerie
Luis Tolentino	...	Mikey Tavarez
Tony Bentley	...	Judge

Storyline

In a city rife with injustice, ex-cop Billy Taggart seeks redemption and revenge after being double-crossed and then framed by its most powerful figure: Mayor Nicholas Hostetler.

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Plot Keywords:

mayor | conspiracy | head held under water | secret | dodge charger | 

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Taglines:

Proof Can Be a Powerful Weapon.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ciudad de sombras

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$8,268,908 (USA) (18 January 2013)

Gross:

$19,692,608 (USA) (29 March 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Emmett/Furla Films, Inferno International, Regency Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

As one of the producers, Mark Wahlberg offered the role of Billy Taggart to Michael Fassbender, but when he declined, Wahlberg ended up playing the part himself.

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Goofs

Mark Wahlberg and Kyle Chandler take a Long Island Railroad (LIRR) train to Montauk from Grand Central Station. Grand Central services Metro North Trains, not LIRR. LIRR leaves from Penn Station.

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Quotes

Mayor Hostetler: You know, women call men dogs. That's to suggest we're somehow untrustworthy or disloyal. But a dog is anything but. And if men are dogs, what the goddamn hell does that make women? You've ever seen a bitch in heat? She will grind herself across the grass to try and get her that itch. And she can find a way to sneak out of the backyard, as any dog will do.

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Gangster Squad (2013)
Movie reviewed in this episode.

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Soundtracks

"Music"
Written by Frank Gaye, Marvin Gaye, Marvin P. Gaye, Nona Gaye and Erick Sermon
Performed by Erick Sermon featuring Marvin Gaye

User Reviews

Painting by numbers

I give this a five for the cast, but a two for the obtuse and predictable script, which inexplicably appeared on the Black List of best unproduced scripts -- in which category it should have remained. In development hell for years, it should at the very least have undergone a major rewrite to simplify the story (which wanders all over the place and becomes dumber by the minute) and raised the tone up out of the gutter. Whichever studio execs placed this on the Black List need to stop sniggering over the dirty words and earn their money by figuring out just what constitutes a good script. Wahlberg is always a pleasure to spend time with but the phoniness of so many of the scenes and the clunkiest car chase ever defeat even his efforts to entertain. So much of this movie is predictable and so many scenes are actors simply going through their paces with inferior material. The gorgeous, gorgeous Catherine Zeta Jones is totally wasted in this piece of dreck. Somewhere in this movie there may originally have been a good idea about corruption in the city. Unfortunately nobody appears to have had the courage to grab it by the throat, beat it into shape and present it to the public with any wit, style or originality. Like it says in the header, this is painting by numbers.