This is a very good movie. I do not understand why so many of the comments here are negative. The plot is great with no holes. The characters are well developed and the acting is top notch. Maybe the lack of computer animation or computer generated special effects or car chases or machine guns blazing away turned some of you off. If you like dramas that are heavy on acting and character development, you will like this movie. The filming locations are very fascinating too. I am not sure where the boardwalk scenes are filmed (Asbury NJ or Yonkers NY) but it looks just like a formerly popular beach front local, that is now a ghost town. Very underrated by the IMDb voters.
174 Reviews
good actors should be better
SnoopyStyle23 August 2016
Drug addict Joey LaMarca (James Franco) defends himself and kills dealer Picasso. He is injured and goes home to his skeptical mother (Patti LuPone). His estranged father NYPD homicide detective Vincent LaMarca (Robert De Niro) and his partner Reg Duffy (George Dzundza) are given the case of the dead drug dealer. Spyder (William Forsythe) is also after his associate's killer. Michelle (Frances McDormand) is Vincent's girlfriend. Gina (Eliza Dushku) is Joey's girlfriend and baby mama. Fellow addict Snake rats out Joey.
There are good actors doing solid work. This material could be given a more grim style. This represents a slow slide in the quality of director Michael Caton-Jones. This should be a more intense thriller and a more heart-breaking tragedy. I keep thinking that this movie should be better. The biographical nature does muddy the story. There is an overall lack of intensity.
There are good actors doing solid work. This material could be given a more grim style. This represents a slow slide in the quality of director Michael Caton-Jones. This should be a more intense thriller and a more heart-breaking tragedy. I keep thinking that this movie should be better. The biographical nature does muddy the story. There is an overall lack of intensity.
Modernized, Urbanized father-son drama, but an unbalanced film
t1n0211214 March 2006
DiNiro defends his abandoned son. Sooner or later, we all have to stand and face the music. This a depiction of their crossroads, of their choices and consequences: really powerful sh1t. Unfortanately, this is another example of how an out of balance film seems sub-standard, but only because everything else coming out of Hollywood has better production. What's out of balance? you might ask. The acting is excellent, maybe perfect, but there is no Kubrick Factor, there is no memorable music, hurried editing. The old deer hunter pair of DiNiro and Dzundza is still good. McDormand is good. But there's no music! What's missing is dramatic pauses and music. Seems rushed. Real shame this movie and the story it portrays. This could have been so much better. Maybe a classic.
Performance 9 Story 7 score 3 cine 6
The rating scale is my own,... But I think I will continue to use it.
Now that I think of it, in modern dramas there are so many current films that lack these two crucial items; Kubrick and Music. It goes without saying that all modern movies need more development, more patience. Then again, I may be biased and setting the bar too high after watching Clockwork, Godfather, Pulp, Blade Runner, Amadeus, Usual, Apocalypse, Shrek2 and Snatch a hundred times. (Combined...I'm not that sick!)I do believe those are those the most powerful and influential fictional movies I've ever seen. (Schindler, Private Ryan, JFK, don't count...they're docudramas) Maybe I need to get out more often. How do I get to Hollywood?
Performance 9 Story 7 score 3 cine 6
The rating scale is my own,... But I think I will continue to use it.
Now that I think of it, in modern dramas there are so many current films that lack these two crucial items; Kubrick and Music. It goes without saying that all modern movies need more development, more patience. Then again, I may be biased and setting the bar too high after watching Clockwork, Godfather, Pulp, Blade Runner, Amadeus, Usual, Apocalypse, Shrek2 and Snatch a hundred times. (Combined...I'm not that sick!)I do believe those are those the most powerful and influential fictional movies I've ever seen. (Schindler, Private Ryan, JFK, don't count...they're docudramas) Maybe I need to get out more often. How do I get to Hollywood?
Polished drama
Danny_G131 June 2004
I'm really not a fan of cop/crime dramas.
I watched this on a recommendation without any clue about its content, and I have to say I quite enjoyed it.
De Niro is Vincent laMarca, a detective of many years on the force. His wife is estranged and he hasn't seen his son Joey in 15 years but finds himself pursuing the boy when Joey is wanted in connection with the murder of a drug dealer. Joey is in a bad way, being a drug addict himself and father of a son he can't support, so perenially finds himself in conflict with his mother who reluctantly tolerates his junkie nature and internally with himself.
Frances McDormand plays Michelle, Vincent's current relationship, though the depth of the relationship seems rather superficial given the 2 live in the same apartment block but seperate appartments. She wants to know more about Vincent when she decides she doesn't know him at all, but his past is murky with a complex and dark family history.
Add to this, his son, Joey's own son with Gina who essentially loses faith in both Joey and her own ability to be a mother, and you have a rather subtle and dark drama with a lot of complexities.
It is worth noting that all the performances are as excellent as you would expect, particularly the breath-taking de Niro, in one of his best roles for years. This is the type of character he was born to play and he's so convincing as Vincent.
As a crime story and cop drama it's one for fans especially, but if you know good cinema you will appreciate it too.
I watched this on a recommendation without any clue about its content, and I have to say I quite enjoyed it.
De Niro is Vincent laMarca, a detective of many years on the force. His wife is estranged and he hasn't seen his son Joey in 15 years but finds himself pursuing the boy when Joey is wanted in connection with the murder of a drug dealer. Joey is in a bad way, being a drug addict himself and father of a son he can't support, so perenially finds himself in conflict with his mother who reluctantly tolerates his junkie nature and internally with himself.
Frances McDormand plays Michelle, Vincent's current relationship, though the depth of the relationship seems rather superficial given the 2 live in the same apartment block but seperate appartments. She wants to know more about Vincent when she decides she doesn't know him at all, but his past is murky with a complex and dark family history.
Add to this, his son, Joey's own son with Gina who essentially loses faith in both Joey and her own ability to be a mother, and you have a rather subtle and dark drama with a lot of complexities.
It is worth noting that all the performances are as excellent as you would expect, particularly the breath-taking de Niro, in one of his best roles for years. This is the type of character he was born to play and he's so convincing as Vincent.
As a crime story and cop drama it's one for fans especially, but if you know good cinema you will appreciate it too.
An intense and dramatic thriller loosely based on a true story with a very good cast
ma-cortes19 December 2022
New York City homicide detective Vincent LaMarca (Robert De Niro) who had a difficult infancy , grew up to become a good police officer . He has forged a long and distinguished career in law enforcement, making a name for himself as a police officer intensely committed to his work . But Vincent Lamarca has a dark secret , his father was executed for a 1950s kidnapping of a child , and it nowadays comes to publicize as shocking news . Then in his latest case , the stakes are higher for Vincent , the suspect he's investigating results to be his own son (James Franco) . He and Joey have been painfully estranged ever since Vincent divorced his wife (Patti LuPone) and left the decaying boardwalks of Long Beach , Long Island for the anonymity of Manhattan and a successful career with the NYPD . He lives his life in solitude , keeping his girlfriend (wasted Frances McDormand) at arm's length and the closest relationship he maintains is with his colleague, Reg Duffy (George Dzundza) . As Vincent must address his dark family history . When you're searching for a killer... the last suspect you want to see is your son !.
Another De Niro cop flick about an upright police officer whose life goes awry , only to see his own son become a murder , this case leads veteran detective Vincent LaLarca back his to his house town , a rundown Long Island resort , and other troubles with ex-wife and his girlfriend add a tragic dimension to the manhunt of his wayward offspring . Although based on a true story the picture takes some drastic liberties with the facts . The details of Joey's crime have been radically softened , while the real Vincent was retired from the force and the police procedural , performing little part in the chase. This air of phoniness permeates all aspects of the production . Main and support cast are pretty good . James Franco is frankly well , he looks like the perfect junkie , playing the estranged son who emerges as chief suspect . With pretty boy Franco flashing his painfully gaunt cheekbones , the movie veers to heroin chic than to the genuinely harrowing of Aranofsky's Requiem for a Dream. And Frances McDormand as De Niro's on-off sweetheart is really wasted , adding other nice secondaries giving competent performances , such as : Eliza Dushku , William Forsythe , Patti Lupone , Anson Mount , John Doman , Brian Tarantina , Nestor Serrano and even Drena De Niro , Robert De Niro's daughter .
Special mention for the enjoyable and emotive musical score by John Murphy . More ambience is provided by the evocative , visually stunning cinematography by cameraman Karl Walter Lindenlaub with on-location shooting in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Ocean Grove , New Jersey, New York City, New York, Long Island . The motion picture was well directed by Michael Caton Jones, despite the odd dull bits , and though makes some overlong . Caton has directed nice films with success enough , such as : "Scandal¨, ¨Memphis Belle¨ , ¨Doc Hollywood¨ , ¨This boy's life¨ , ¨Rob Roy¨, ¨The Jackal¨ , ¨City by the Sea" , among others . Rating : 6,5/10. The picture will appeal to Robert De Niro and James Franco fans .
Another De Niro cop flick about an upright police officer whose life goes awry , only to see his own son become a murder , this case leads veteran detective Vincent LaLarca back his to his house town , a rundown Long Island resort , and other troubles with ex-wife and his girlfriend add a tragic dimension to the manhunt of his wayward offspring . Although based on a true story the picture takes some drastic liberties with the facts . The details of Joey's crime have been radically softened , while the real Vincent was retired from the force and the police procedural , performing little part in the chase. This air of phoniness permeates all aspects of the production . Main and support cast are pretty good . James Franco is frankly well , he looks like the perfect junkie , playing the estranged son who emerges as chief suspect . With pretty boy Franco flashing his painfully gaunt cheekbones , the movie veers to heroin chic than to the genuinely harrowing of Aranofsky's Requiem for a Dream. And Frances McDormand as De Niro's on-off sweetheart is really wasted , adding other nice secondaries giving competent performances , such as : Eliza Dushku , William Forsythe , Patti Lupone , Anson Mount , John Doman , Brian Tarantina , Nestor Serrano and even Drena De Niro , Robert De Niro's daughter .
Special mention for the enjoyable and emotive musical score by John Murphy . More ambience is provided by the evocative , visually stunning cinematography by cameraman Karl Walter Lindenlaub with on-location shooting in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Ocean Grove , New Jersey, New York City, New York, Long Island . The motion picture was well directed by Michael Caton Jones, despite the odd dull bits , and though makes some overlong . Caton has directed nice films with success enough , such as : "Scandal¨, ¨Memphis Belle¨ , ¨Doc Hollywood¨ , ¨This boy's life¨ , ¨Rob Roy¨, ¨The Jackal¨ , ¨City by the Sea" , among others . Rating : 6,5/10. The picture will appeal to Robert De Niro and James Franco fans .
Fatherhood
wes-connors26 October 2008
Homicide detective Robert De Niro (as Vincent LaMarca) has a skeleton in his closet. Mr. De Niro's father was executed as a baby killer. However, De Niro "turned his life around" and, with help from a law-abiding father figure, became a respectable police officer. Unfortunately, he left his wife and young son on the wrong side of the tracks. Fourteen years later, De Niro's handsome son James Franco (as Joey LaMarca) has become a gaunt Long Beach junkie, with a neglected son of his own. While scoring some junk, Mr. Franco knifes a dealer, in self-defense (this is the film's opening). Then, father De Niro is assigned the task of bringing in his estranged son as a murderer...
If you give "City by the Sea" a chance, it should make a good impression, thanks to the skillfully focused cast and crew. De Niro is particularly good at elevating the story; he keeps everything real. The story is, otherwise, not structurally sound. To give an example (without giving anything away) note that Franco's opening "killing" is hardly a crime. Wouldn't the film's theme have worked better if this was a real, however warranted, passionate murder? This would strengthen the sense of loss/salvation expressed by De Niro and Franco in the final act. There are other puzzling story developments, right up until the final "beach" visit. Director Michael Caton-Jones' near-ending "auto body shop" segment is exciting, though.
******* City by the Sea (2002) Michael Caton-Jones ~ Robert De Niro, James Franco, Frances McDormand
If you give "City by the Sea" a chance, it should make a good impression, thanks to the skillfully focused cast and crew. De Niro is particularly good at elevating the story; he keeps everything real. The story is, otherwise, not structurally sound. To give an example (without giving anything away) note that Franco's opening "killing" is hardly a crime. Wouldn't the film's theme have worked better if this was a real, however warranted, passionate murder? This would strengthen the sense of loss/salvation expressed by De Niro and Franco in the final act. There are other puzzling story developments, right up until the final "beach" visit. Director Michael Caton-Jones' near-ending "auto body shop" segment is exciting, though.
******* City by the Sea (2002) Michael Caton-Jones ~ Robert De Niro, James Franco, Frances McDormand
Excellent performance by DeNiro
rosscinema12 November 2003
Warning: Spoilers
The trailer and ads for this film may make you think that this is just another cop film with Robert DeNiro but the truth is that its a lot more. This story is loosely based on fact and it seems a natural to be made into a film. Story starts out with an 18 year old boy named Joey (James Franco) who is a drug addict and during an altercation with a pusher Joey stabs him and kills him. The next day Detective Vincent LaMarca (Robert DeNiro) and his partner Reg (George Dzundza) investigate the killing and later find out that Vincent's son Joey is responsible. Vincent is divorced from Maggie (Patti Lupone) and has not seen his son for 14 years. Vincent lives in an apartment and he is casually dating Michelle (Frances McDormand) who lives upstairs from him. Meanwhile, a drug supplier called Spyder (William Forsythe) is looking for Joey because he thinks he has his 4000 dollars which he doesn't. Once it is known that Vincents son is involved he is taken off the case and Reg is put in charge of the investigation.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
Reg goes to an old building on Long Beach, Long Island where Joey is known to hang out but Reg surprises Spyder and gets shot and killed. Now the police think Joey killed him and Vincent has a lot to think about. Vincent's own father was executed in 1959 for killing a child and now his own son is involved in a terrible crime. Vincent meets Joey's girlfriend Gina (Eliza Dushku) and finds out that he is a grandfather and now he must make sure that his own grandson doesn't follow the same fate. This film was directed by Michael Caton-Jones and its the second film that he and DeNiro have worked on together and the first was "This Boy's Life". What separates this from other cop films is a very strong performance by DeNiro. He has been criticized in the past for giving uninspired performances but thats not the case here. DeNiro had to do some real digging to deliver a character that is haunted by his past and now doesn't have a choice but to confront it and try to make amends. At the beginning we see Vincent as a cop who always says that those responsible must pay. Then later in the film he hands in his gun and badge which were two things he could hide behind when dealing with personal issues. After that he is free to confront everything that he has dodged for years. DeNiro shows real layers to his character and as the film unfolds these layers are slowly peeled back exposing himself as more than just a tough cop. I wasn't as excited by Franco's performance although they're are a few moments when confronting his father where he shows some real angst in his eyes. But for the most part his role comes across as James Dean in "Rebel Without A Cause". Its hard to believe that its been 25 years since DeNiro and Dzundza were in "The Deer Hunter" together and this is the first time since than that they have worked together. Film is definitely more interesting than I expected and DeNiro's performance is exceptional.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
Reg goes to an old building on Long Beach, Long Island where Joey is known to hang out but Reg surprises Spyder and gets shot and killed. Now the police think Joey killed him and Vincent has a lot to think about. Vincent's own father was executed in 1959 for killing a child and now his own son is involved in a terrible crime. Vincent meets Joey's girlfriend Gina (Eliza Dushku) and finds out that he is a grandfather and now he must make sure that his own grandson doesn't follow the same fate. This film was directed by Michael Caton-Jones and its the second film that he and DeNiro have worked on together and the first was "This Boy's Life". What separates this from other cop films is a very strong performance by DeNiro. He has been criticized in the past for giving uninspired performances but thats not the case here. DeNiro had to do some real digging to deliver a character that is haunted by his past and now doesn't have a choice but to confront it and try to make amends. At the beginning we see Vincent as a cop who always says that those responsible must pay. Then later in the film he hands in his gun and badge which were two things he could hide behind when dealing with personal issues. After that he is free to confront everything that he has dodged for years. DeNiro shows real layers to his character and as the film unfolds these layers are slowly peeled back exposing himself as more than just a tough cop. I wasn't as excited by Franco's performance although they're are a few moments when confronting his father where he shows some real angst in his eyes. But for the most part his role comes across as James Dean in "Rebel Without A Cause". Its hard to believe that its been 25 years since DeNiro and Dzundza were in "The Deer Hunter" together and this is the first time since than that they have worked together. Film is definitely more interesting than I expected and DeNiro's performance is exceptional.
A film that wasn't bad but certainly wasn't great...
Amityville157 December 2014
Vincent LaMarca's job is to arrest killers, but this job is different. The suspect he is tracking is his own son. As a cop, LaMarca must bring the accused to justice. As a father he must try and help his son. However LaMarca owes his son more than that as he walked out on him and he is also plagued by his own bad memories of his father and how he was executed for murder.
This film starred: Robert De Niro, James Franco & Frances McDormand.
City By The Sea was released in 2002. When I saw the trailers for this film I thought it was going to be really good. With a great actor like De Niro and an up-coming star in James Franco I was really expecting good things from this movie. However, in my opinion this film didn't deliver. It was OK but it bored me some parts and apart from the end scene I wasn't as moved as what I had expected from this film. I don't recommend this film because you will probably be left disappointed.
***/***** Could be worse.
This film starred: Robert De Niro, James Franco & Frances McDormand.
City By The Sea was released in 2002. When I saw the trailers for this film I thought it was going to be really good. With a great actor like De Niro and an up-coming star in James Franco I was really expecting good things from this movie. However, in my opinion this film didn't deliver. It was OK but it bored me some parts and apart from the end scene I wasn't as moved as what I had expected from this film. I don't recommend this film because you will probably be left disappointed.
***/***** Could be worse.
Uninspired. Formulaic. Seen it all before, done better in other movies. Even the great actors cant excite me.
imseeg12 June 2020
I have seen ALL Robert de Niro movies. I adore this actor. HE was the reason (and Frances McDormand) I started watching this movie (again). I had seen it before, but had forgotten how mediocre and UNINSPIRED it was. This is a formula movie: seen it all before, but done better in other movies.
Any good? James Franco fans might like it. He acts convincingly. The actors arent to blame, the cheap looking and uinspired direction IS to blame though.
Simply forgettable...and it SHOULD be forgotten...
Any good? James Franco fans might like it. He acts convincingly. The actors arent to blame, the cheap looking and uinspired direction IS to blame though.
Simply forgettable...and it SHOULD be forgotten...
Heartbreaking
janedoe53008 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I paused somewhere early in the second half of City by the Sea, because I needed to find out what I was gonna watch after to cheer me up again. This movie is tough to watch, maybe more so for someone like me with a history of, albeit much less serious, abuse and absent father issues.
It's not a great film and, as I was reminded reading other reviews, the police stuff is pretty standard and mundane. Ironically I was expecting a good old fashioned police procedural where maybe, maybe not, the son did it, we just had to follow the evidence, and wait and see. It so happens I'm not spoiling anything, because the son did it, in the first scene. The son by the way, is played brilliantly by Franco. I can't wrap my mind around this guy, he is amazing in films like this one and 127 hours, yet he is painful to watch in other instances. Here he is brilliant as the strung out (it wouldn't surprise me if he lost weight for this role) and abandoned son, trying to escape his demons and reconcile with the fact that, even though he tries very hard not to, he still loves his father who left him, and desperately yearns for his approval and his trust. "It doesn't matter what I believe" says DeNiro at one point, being a cop before being a father "what if it matters to me?" his son asks.
Which brings us to DeNiro. It might take you a bit longer than me, or you might realize it right away, but DeNiro is no hero here. He is a BAD father, absolved only by way of his own father being worse. He believes in choice rather than circumstance, and he tells people like his new lover (McDormand, who does her best with the stock character she is given) that people make their own choices, yet it seems more like a reminder to himself of a sentiment he wants to believe, even has to. "He (Joey) made a choice to kill someone, just like you made a choice to be a b****" he tells his ex wife, convincing himself, and for a time the viewer, that he in fact had no choice but to walk away.
His struggle to come to terms with his loss and, as a result of his own choices, the loss he inflicted on his son, is the core of the movie and DeNiro does a great job. He is closed off as a man, and he is cold and calculated as a cop, but he is not heartless, even though it seems that way when he tells his partner Reg that if it comes to a standoff, and Reg kills his son, he will still have his friendship and respect. More and more you start to see the man for what he is, a hurting man, who has lost so much he can't endure anymore, and he just, in his own words, locks it away "cause otherwise it would be too difficult". Inevitably he will have to face his own choices, and the consequences of them, and it's through this journey that the movie earns its merit, even though it is often a heartbreaking journey to be a part of.
It's not a great film and, as I was reminded reading other reviews, the police stuff is pretty standard and mundane. Ironically I was expecting a good old fashioned police procedural where maybe, maybe not, the son did it, we just had to follow the evidence, and wait and see. It so happens I'm not spoiling anything, because the son did it, in the first scene. The son by the way, is played brilliantly by Franco. I can't wrap my mind around this guy, he is amazing in films like this one and 127 hours, yet he is painful to watch in other instances. Here he is brilliant as the strung out (it wouldn't surprise me if he lost weight for this role) and abandoned son, trying to escape his demons and reconcile with the fact that, even though he tries very hard not to, he still loves his father who left him, and desperately yearns for his approval and his trust. "It doesn't matter what I believe" says DeNiro at one point, being a cop before being a father "what if it matters to me?" his son asks.
Which brings us to DeNiro. It might take you a bit longer than me, or you might realize it right away, but DeNiro is no hero here. He is a BAD father, absolved only by way of his own father being worse. He believes in choice rather than circumstance, and he tells people like his new lover (McDormand, who does her best with the stock character she is given) that people make their own choices, yet it seems more like a reminder to himself of a sentiment he wants to believe, even has to. "He (Joey) made a choice to kill someone, just like you made a choice to be a b****" he tells his ex wife, convincing himself, and for a time the viewer, that he in fact had no choice but to walk away.
His struggle to come to terms with his loss and, as a result of his own choices, the loss he inflicted on his son, is the core of the movie and DeNiro does a great job. He is closed off as a man, and he is cold and calculated as a cop, but he is not heartless, even though it seems that way when he tells his partner Reg that if it comes to a standoff, and Reg kills his son, he will still have his friendship and respect. More and more you start to see the man for what he is, a hurting man, who has lost so much he can't endure anymore, and he just, in his own words, locks it away "cause otherwise it would be too difficult". Inevitably he will have to face his own choices, and the consequences of them, and it's through this journey that the movie earns its merit, even though it is often a heartbreaking journey to be a part of.
Toast for dinner
Metacognizant1 February 2013
Imagine eating five or six pieces of toast as a meal, wouldn't you be left feeling like, "Is this it?!?" It isn't that there is anything wrong with toast, but piece after piece it wouldn't make for much of a meal in it of itself. In the same way, City by the Sea just didn't leave me satisfied. It wasn't that there was anything blaringly wrong with it, but it never presented any interesting flavors to savor; it just bored me. Things picked up later in the movie, and I did like the poignancy of the ending, but I just didn't think it was worth the wait to get there. The trailer makes it look like an edge of your seat thriller – it is not.
Gritty performances are the highlight.
A_Roode23 August 2006
2002's 'City By the Sea' was a film that slipped by me when it first came out. I was living overseas and missed it completely. Having finally had a chance to watch it, I think it is the best film that Robert DeNiro has been in since 'Ronin' and up to 2006, his last great dramatic performance. He stars in 'City By the Sea' as the absentee father of James Franco. DeNiro is a decorated homicide cop who, while investigating a murder, finds uncomfortable evidence that concretely links his son to the murder. The film becomes a redemptive tale as DeNiro's character tries to make up for the damage of the lost years and save his son from a series of rapidly expanding catastrophes.
'City By the Sea' borrows from the noir tradition with a gritty locale, seedy characters and two male leads who have unlocked a series of events that are bigger than they are. DeNiro and Franco are both excellent here. Franco is tremendous for the entire film as a junkie who is trying (perhaps not very hard) to escape from his current life for one mixed of fantasy and memory. His final scenes with De Niro are powerful.
The DeNiro performance? I think that he played it perfectly. His character in the film tends to be very restrained and controlled. He analyzes and then makes his move. Part of this has to do with the background of the character. He hides his past because he's trying to protect his own vulnerabilities. By the time we reach the climactic scene towards the end of the film with his son, the restraint and control are gone. He is trying to save his son and the impassioned speech he gives is some of the best work I've seen him do. 'City By the Sea' is more of a redemptive drama than a crime drama and I think that the way the film was packaged and marketed may have confused that. In the climactic scene with Franco, you see the culmination of a great performance by a great actor. I was more impressed by the emotion and power of that scene than I was by anything else I've watched in quite a while.
'City By the Sea' is slow, but worth the journey. Very good acting all around and you might very well be a James Franco fan after seeing this if you weren't before.
'City By the Sea' borrows from the noir tradition with a gritty locale, seedy characters and two male leads who have unlocked a series of events that are bigger than they are. DeNiro and Franco are both excellent here. Franco is tremendous for the entire film as a junkie who is trying (perhaps not very hard) to escape from his current life for one mixed of fantasy and memory. His final scenes with De Niro are powerful.
The DeNiro performance? I think that he played it perfectly. His character in the film tends to be very restrained and controlled. He analyzes and then makes his move. Part of this has to do with the background of the character. He hides his past because he's trying to protect his own vulnerabilities. By the time we reach the climactic scene towards the end of the film with his son, the restraint and control are gone. He is trying to save his son and the impassioned speech he gives is some of the best work I've seen him do. 'City By the Sea' is more of a redemptive drama than a crime drama and I think that the way the film was packaged and marketed may have confused that. In the climactic scene with Franco, you see the culmination of a great performance by a great actor. I was more impressed by the emotion and power of that scene than I was by anything else I've watched in quite a while.
'City By the Sea' is slow, but worth the journey. Very good acting all around and you might very well be a James Franco fan after seeing this if you weren't before.
take the time to watch the film
charambo21 May 2007
If you have been living in space for the last twenty years or so, and this is your first Robert De Niro film, its not a bad film to start off with. The story is old and rehashed many times, on TV films and weekly cop series. Cop son goes bad.
To realize what a great actor De Niro is, you would not think so watching this movie. But, please wait until the last half hour of the movie and you will see De Niro crumbling from a tough cop to a guilty father.
Watching him beg to his son to give up to the police, is a great great scene. Worth watching
To realize what a great actor De Niro is, you would not think so watching this movie. But, please wait until the last half hour of the movie and you will see De Niro crumbling from a tough cop to a guilty father.
Watching him beg to his son to give up to the police, is a great great scene. Worth watching
A so so, ordinary cop drama that boasts a new impressive acting presence
videorama-759-85939119 February 2014
For me this was a disappointment, and rarely am I disappointed by a De Niro film. It's just a standard nothing new film. This is just a routine cop drama, with the always competent De Niro in a not so tough role as a cop, who's very family orientated. Now just having realized his junkie son (Franco) may of been the murderous hand behind the death of a cop, he must find him. Really this is just old territory, in a painfully trite cop drama, the new acting great, Franco, delivering a sincere and powerful performance, as the fleeing son, running scared. Did he or not pull the trigger, or is there more than a story to it. We really don't care, or we have an itch to know, to get our story's worth. Seriously, Franco is the only real reason for warranting a view, while Eliza Dunkshu was strong too as the girlfriend. A kill ninety minute film in the land of ordinary that does try, by evidently fails, as just a sad tale of mislead youth. Do watch for Franco, though.
not too bad...
podozzypro5 January 2003
"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
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
Underrated Melancholic Drama
joaocruzferreira21 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
"When you're searching for a killer... the last suspect you want to see is your son." New York City homicide detective Vincent LaMarca has had a long and distinguished career in law enforcement, making a name for himself as a man intensely committed to his work. On his latest case, the number one suspect is his son Joey. This murder investigation is drawing Vincent home to Long Beach, the self-proclaimed City by the Sea, where the past has been waiting for him to return. The agonizing memory that has tortured him all his life - the death of his father: a convicted murderer who was executed when Vincent was just a boy - still plagues him. In the course of the investigation, he discovers that his own unresolved pain and failures as a father have deeply influenced Joey's life, and now his 18-month-old grandson may be fated to follow their self-destructive paths.
De Niro plays Vincent with an insecurity, a deep-down dose of shame, that we're not used to seeing from this actor in dramatic roles. It's one of his gentlest, most quietly affecting performances. This is one of his strongest performances to date and one of the year's best. Franco meets the challenge of his role opposite De Niro by playing a younger version of his father as he too struggles to make the right life decisions regarding his crime and drug use. Also strong in this ensemble work is Frances McDormand, whose love for Vincent pushes the limits of her commitment to him, and arouses equally difficult choices for her as a result "City by the Sea" is a painful look at how the emotional years of faulty parenting can affect the relationships between fathers and sons as well as the innocent loved ones surrounding them.
All in all, this tense drama is an entertaining movie with great performances. My congratulations to Ken Hixon and Michael Caton-Jones, who managed to create a solid and entertaining motion picture. After directing critically-acclaimed films like "Rob Roy", "This Boy's Life" and now "City by the Sea", we will certainly hear from Caton-Jones in a near future.
An underrated melancholic drama. 8/10
De Niro plays Vincent with an insecurity, a deep-down dose of shame, that we're not used to seeing from this actor in dramatic roles. It's one of his gentlest, most quietly affecting performances. This is one of his strongest performances to date and one of the year's best. Franco meets the challenge of his role opposite De Niro by playing a younger version of his father as he too struggles to make the right life decisions regarding his crime and drug use. Also strong in this ensemble work is Frances McDormand, whose love for Vincent pushes the limits of her commitment to him, and arouses equally difficult choices for her as a result "City by the Sea" is a painful look at how the emotional years of faulty parenting can affect the relationships between fathers and sons as well as the innocent loved ones surrounding them.
All in all, this tense drama is an entertaining movie with great performances. My congratulations to Ken Hixon and Michael Caton-Jones, who managed to create a solid and entertaining motion picture. After directing critically-acclaimed films like "Rob Roy", "This Boy's Life" and now "City by the Sea", we will certainly hear from Caton-Jones in a near future.
An underrated melancholic drama. 8/10
Great performances
HotToastyRag25 February 2020
When you watch the preview for City by the Sea, everything gets spelled out for you and you know what you're getting, but if you just rent it sight unseen, it'll unfold with lots of twists and turns. Without spoiling too much-because if that's what I wanted to do, I'd just tell you to watch the preview-Robert De Niro and James Franco star as a father and son whose lives have gone down different paths. De Niro is a policeman who has faced down a stigma of his father's criminal past, and when he abandoned his own family, his ex-wife, Patti Lupone, and son were left without a positive role model. Each lead is in his prime during this movie: De Niro plays a tough guy who refuses to let his guard down even when he tries to soften up, and Franco plays a kid in trouble, seeking drugs as an escape, and gaining the audience's sympathy because he's so good-looking, we don't want to watch him throw his life away.
I'll admit it: I'm a total sap when men cry. I can probably count on my fingers how many times a male actor has teared up and left me cold. If most of this movie was just chase scenes, a troubled kid doing drugs, and mild suspense as to whether the real bad guy would get caught, I would have only recommended it to those who want to drool over a young, curly-haired James Franco. However, when Robert De Niro teared up during his ending monologue, he had me reaching for the Kleenex box. Even if you don't have a crush on James Franco, you can still enjoy this movie. If you focus on the father-son dynamic, you'll get a lot out of it.
A side-plot I found enjoyable was Robert De Niro's romance with his neighbor Frances McDormand. Their relationship is interesting because it's both intimate and distant. When he finally opens up to her, she needs time to process everything and decide whether or not she still wants to be a part of his life. Note to my fellow saps: even when you think you know him, you don't really. Want to find out what I'm talking about? You'll have to watch the movie.
I'll admit it: I'm a total sap when men cry. I can probably count on my fingers how many times a male actor has teared up and left me cold. If most of this movie was just chase scenes, a troubled kid doing drugs, and mild suspense as to whether the real bad guy would get caught, I would have only recommended it to those who want to drool over a young, curly-haired James Franco. However, when Robert De Niro teared up during his ending monologue, he had me reaching for the Kleenex box. Even if you don't have a crush on James Franco, you can still enjoy this movie. If you focus on the father-son dynamic, you'll get a lot out of it.
A side-plot I found enjoyable was Robert De Niro's romance with his neighbor Frances McDormand. Their relationship is interesting because it's both intimate and distant. When he finally opens up to her, she needs time to process everything and decide whether or not she still wants to be a part of his life. Note to my fellow saps: even when you think you know him, you don't really. Want to find out what I'm talking about? You'll have to watch the movie.
Not great, but probably what you expect
rbverhoef30 November 2004
'City by the Sea' belongs to a group of dramatic thrillers that are made too much. I don't say they are not nice in their own way, it just that we can guess how things will happen. Here we deal with a junkie named Joey (James Franco) who kills a dealer. We can sort of say it was self defense. The police of course does not know this and it does not take long for them to know who the killer of the dealer is. As it turns out he is the son of cop Vincent LaMarca (Robert De Niro), who walked out on his son and wife fourteen years ago. LaMarca's father was executed when he was eight because he killed a baby and that makes sure the case of the son does not stand strong. The plot thickens when LaMarca's partner is killed. We know another dealer, Spyder (William Forsythe) who wants to kill Joey out of revenge, is responsible for this but again, the police does not know this. We also learn that Joey has a kid with Gina (Eliza Dushku).
The is the set-up for what I thought to be a thriller. Yes, it sometimes is, but this movie gets a little better because it wants to have its focus on the dramatic elements in the story. For example, we also meet the mother of Joey and the scene is short but pretty well written (and played) leaving us with another secret that has to be dealt with. Another important character is Michelle (Frances McDormand), LaMarca's downstairs neighbor with whom he has a relationship. She is not just a character to complicate things, but she really has a role in all of it. Of course the movie takes the save turns and especially the ending was not that good, but for a movie like this it is not bad at all.
Robert De Niro has not made many great movies the last couple of years but as an actor he always stays dependable. Here again he makes the movie better than it is, giving depth to his character. McDormand also has a quality that makes a character a real person instead of a tool in a plot. That the movie is not great is probably expected by everyone who will see this movie. The reasons to see it are exactly the expectations you have with this kind of movie.
The is the set-up for what I thought to be a thriller. Yes, it sometimes is, but this movie gets a little better because it wants to have its focus on the dramatic elements in the story. For example, we also meet the mother of Joey and the scene is short but pretty well written (and played) leaving us with another secret that has to be dealt with. Another important character is Michelle (Frances McDormand), LaMarca's downstairs neighbor with whom he has a relationship. She is not just a character to complicate things, but she really has a role in all of it. Of course the movie takes the save turns and especially the ending was not that good, but for a movie like this it is not bad at all.
Robert De Niro has not made many great movies the last couple of years but as an actor he always stays dependable. Here again he makes the movie better than it is, giving depth to his character. McDormand also has a quality that makes a character a real person instead of a tool in a plot. That the movie is not great is probably expected by everyone who will see this movie. The reasons to see it are exactly the expectations you have with this kind of movie.
Really real
Rexus_Prime21 July 2003
City by the Sea is a pretty average movie. It follows a cop (De Niro), whose father was executed for the murder of a child and who is now investigating another murder - perpetrated by his own estranged son.
What stands out for me about the film is it's "realness". Although I have no idea what a Long Island junkie, or NYC detective would talk like, it was refreshing to watch a film where the characters didn't burst into big emotional speeches, all the time.
While the characters are all faced with extraordinary circumstances, they react in a convincingly ordinary way - the way you'd expect real people to act.
The most striking aspect of the film however is the rancidly dilapidated and utterly depressing scenery of Long Island where the film is set.
One criticism I do have is the name of two of the low-life villains in the film: "Spider" and "Snake"? I mean, come on.
In conclusion, City by the Sea is a pretty good film, which I would rate a lucky 7 out of 10, and recommend to anyone who likes a gritty, realistic cop/family drama.
What stands out for me about the film is it's "realness". Although I have no idea what a Long Island junkie, or NYC detective would talk like, it was refreshing to watch a film where the characters didn't burst into big emotional speeches, all the time.
While the characters are all faced with extraordinary circumstances, they react in a convincingly ordinary way - the way you'd expect real people to act.
The most striking aspect of the film however is the rancidly dilapidated and utterly depressing scenery of Long Island where the film is set.
One criticism I do have is the name of two of the low-life villains in the film: "Spider" and "Snake"? I mean, come on.
In conclusion, City by the Sea is a pretty good film, which I would rate a lucky 7 out of 10, and recommend to anyone who likes a gritty, realistic cop/family drama.
The writer of this piffle needed to realise that 'detail' does not automatically gain 'depth'... !
Howlin Wolf18 August 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Ever watched a film where the makers seemed to arbitrarily chuck in superfluous information about their characters to make them seem more 'rounded'; when maybe a solitary line of perceptive dialogue would get the job done a hundred times better, instead? No? Well then watch "City By The Sea" - it's a textbook outline of the syndrome I've just described... The only thing that stands out as being remotely impressive about this film is how everybody managed to take a potentially interesting story and make it so mind-numbingly boring! The characters are incredibly poorly sketched; the narrative flow seemingly all about the here and now with not a hint of visualisation in terms of backstory. The closest we come to such a concept is several bluntly obvious exchanges, nothing more.
The character relations are appallingly clumsily handled throughout, too. (We're just supposed to ASSUME before we are belatedly told that Eliza Dushku plays James Franco's sometime girlfriend, despite having until then never seen them share even a mildly intimate moment??!) If the instance in the brackets isn't enough for you, how about De Niro playing psychoanalyst to said 'girlfriend', despite her having shown up at his door perhaps 5 MINUTES earlier???! I kid you not...
The one scene that might manage to fool the unwary into thinking it's developing well takes a farcical turn for the worse when at a stroke it's suggested that the son's predisposition towards screwing up may well just be solved by De Niro simply apologising for not being a very good dad. Heartwarming stuff maybe, but unfortunately for the sake of this film, only if you're under 10 or have the mental capability of an uncommonly depressed lemming... The son in question desperately wants acceptance from his father; but better headway could only possibly be made if the audience THEMSELVES had a hope in hell of accepting what's been slapped onto the screen before their very eyes. Needless to say, they don't.
Every single arc of reasoning that can be gleaned from what we are shown is disgustingly simplistic. One can't help but pity the De Niro of these days after suffering through this tripe. A particular character is heard to utter the astonishingly cliché line: "You don't understand me!" The victim of said befuddlement is conclusively not alone; 105 minutes in, and we the audience find ourselves no nearer to comprehending anything of instructive value, either... !
(2/10 or */***** in profile ratings system.)
The character relations are appallingly clumsily handled throughout, too. (We're just supposed to ASSUME before we are belatedly told that Eliza Dushku plays James Franco's sometime girlfriend, despite having until then never seen them share even a mildly intimate moment??!) If the instance in the brackets isn't enough for you, how about De Niro playing psychoanalyst to said 'girlfriend', despite her having shown up at his door perhaps 5 MINUTES earlier???! I kid you not...
The one scene that might manage to fool the unwary into thinking it's developing well takes a farcical turn for the worse when at a stroke it's suggested that the son's predisposition towards screwing up may well just be solved by De Niro simply apologising for not being a very good dad. Heartwarming stuff maybe, but unfortunately for the sake of this film, only if you're under 10 or have the mental capability of an uncommonly depressed lemming... The son in question desperately wants acceptance from his father; but better headway could only possibly be made if the audience THEMSELVES had a hope in hell of accepting what's been slapped onto the screen before their very eyes. Needless to say, they don't.
Every single arc of reasoning that can be gleaned from what we are shown is disgustingly simplistic. One can't help but pity the De Niro of these days after suffering through this tripe. A particular character is heard to utter the astonishingly cliché line: "You don't understand me!" The victim of said befuddlement is conclusively not alone; 105 minutes in, and we the audience find ourselves no nearer to comprehending anything of instructive value, either... !
(2/10 or */***** in profile ratings system.)
The Killer Gene?
hitchcockthelegend30 September 2012
City by the Sea is directed by Michael Caton-Jones and adapted to screenplay by Ken Hixon from the article Mark of a Murderer written by Michael McAlary. It stars Robert De Niro, James Franco, Eilza Dushku, Frances McDormand, George Dzundza and William Forsythe. Music is scored by John Murphy and cinematography by Karl Walter Lindenlaub.
Based on a true story, plot finds De Niro as Vincent LaMarca, a veteran New York cop who carries around the burden of being the son of an executed child killer. Though comfortable in his life, where he gets on with his cop partner and has a romantic relationship with a lady in his apartment block, things quickly grow dark when it transpires that Vincent's estranged son Joey (Franco), a drug user out at Long Beach, has apparently committed murder.
With the trailers at the time of release wrongly hinting at some explosive cop drama, and with De Niro's standing as a serious drama actor on the wane, City by the Sea has pretty much failed to inspire some steadfast support from 2002 onwards. Yet it's well worth inspection by those film fans who appreciate a crisp screenplay and top line acting.
De Niro is on form, without doubt, but he is clearly helped by having actors around him who can compete on the same terms. There's a believability to the core relationships in the film, be it De Niro and Franco as father and son, or De Niro and McDormand as lovers, the writing calls for actors of strength to hold court and make this dialogue heavy picture worth attention. And they do, very much so.
Narratively the piece thrives on irony and the great old noir staple of past events looming large over a protagonist. Primarily it's about how Vincent deals with the splinters of his past suddenly surfacing in his life. This proves to make the film more a drama than a thriller, there are no high octane deaths and dismemberment's, no back street alleyway wackings, this is very much a character driven, unpretentious and emotionally affecting movie.
Just like his actors, Caton-Jones is perfectly restrained, his direction has a nice flow that aids the story, no tricks are needed to beef up the human interest. He allows the principal character's stories to build, making sure that Hixon's adult screenplay comes to the fore; that character reactions are not twee or too far fetched. In fact it's very refreshing to see the way McDormand's girlfriend reacts to the "new" information she has to deal with in her love life. Visually there's some lovely work by Lindenlaub (Rob Roy), where nightscapes and a red sunset stand tall and proud, and Murphy's score is thankfully unobtrusive given the nature of the story. 7/10
Based on a true story, plot finds De Niro as Vincent LaMarca, a veteran New York cop who carries around the burden of being the son of an executed child killer. Though comfortable in his life, where he gets on with his cop partner and has a romantic relationship with a lady in his apartment block, things quickly grow dark when it transpires that Vincent's estranged son Joey (Franco), a drug user out at Long Beach, has apparently committed murder.
With the trailers at the time of release wrongly hinting at some explosive cop drama, and with De Niro's standing as a serious drama actor on the wane, City by the Sea has pretty much failed to inspire some steadfast support from 2002 onwards. Yet it's well worth inspection by those film fans who appreciate a crisp screenplay and top line acting.
De Niro is on form, without doubt, but he is clearly helped by having actors around him who can compete on the same terms. There's a believability to the core relationships in the film, be it De Niro and Franco as father and son, or De Niro and McDormand as lovers, the writing calls for actors of strength to hold court and make this dialogue heavy picture worth attention. And they do, very much so.
Narratively the piece thrives on irony and the great old noir staple of past events looming large over a protagonist. Primarily it's about how Vincent deals with the splinters of his past suddenly surfacing in his life. This proves to make the film more a drama than a thriller, there are no high octane deaths and dismemberment's, no back street alleyway wackings, this is very much a character driven, unpretentious and emotionally affecting movie.
Just like his actors, Caton-Jones is perfectly restrained, his direction has a nice flow that aids the story, no tricks are needed to beef up the human interest. He allows the principal character's stories to build, making sure that Hixon's adult screenplay comes to the fore; that character reactions are not twee or too far fetched. In fact it's very refreshing to see the way McDormand's girlfriend reacts to the "new" information she has to deal with in her love life. Visually there's some lovely work by Lindenlaub (Rob Roy), where nightscapes and a red sunset stand tall and proud, and Murphy's score is thankfully unobtrusive given the nature of the story. 7/10
Long Beach, N.Y. didn't deserve this movie.
btfkelly24 March 2004
For the first part of this film, I regretted having missed some of the cool decrepit sites depicted in the movie when I was in the Long Beach area years ago. Then I realized that I had stepped into another Hollywood Twilight Zone. For those who sat through the credits after being numbed out by this tedious film about father-son abandonment-guilt deja vu all over again and again and again, it was revealed that the film was shot in Asbury Park. That would have been okay if the DeNiro character did not lament the deterioration of "Long Beach". If the area is a "Slum by the Sea", give credit where it is due. That nitpick aside, the film deserves the oblivion into which it will fall.
Gritty Drama More Than A Crime Film
ccthemovieman-131 January 2007
This is a somewhat run-of-the-mill modern-day crime movie elevated by the presence of actor Robert De Niro. He plays a policeman who is a father to his druggie son, who is accused of murder.
"Vincent LaMarca" (De Niro) is torn between the guilt of being an absentee father to his kid ("Joey," played by James Franco) but still loving him enough to help him and yet still be a good, honest cop.
This is a gritty film, a bid sordid in spots. The locale is a grimy Atlantici City-type on-the- skids town by the ocean. It isn't pretty. As tough as the story can be, it's still interesting and recommended as a decent crime film. Actually, it's much more of a drama than an action-crime film....but I liked it. It's an interesting character study, as well.
"Vincent LaMarca" (De Niro) is torn between the guilt of being an absentee father to his kid ("Joey," played by James Franco) but still loving him enough to help him and yet still be a good, honest cop.
This is a gritty film, a bid sordid in spots. The locale is a grimy Atlantici City-type on-the- skids town by the ocean. It isn't pretty. As tough as the story can be, it's still interesting and recommended as a decent crime film. Actually, it's much more of a drama than an action-crime film....but I liked it. It's an interesting character study, as well.
Eliza Dushku will marry the Green Goblin
freakfire-13 September 2008
Robert DeNiro, one of the ageless wonders of Hollywood. He sticks around, does a action-drama movie and keeps himself know. He isn't like Kirk Cameron who disappeared for years only to reappear more religious and less of an actor.
James Franco, aka Green Goblin, is a junkie who gets involved in a tragic deal gone wrong. Trying to hide from the cops, his father Robert DeNiro reintroduces himself to Franco. After several scenes that might seem typical in a cop drama, Franco and DeNiro play a dangerous game that risks their lives.
There was more drama than action. Eliza Dushku, whom Franco has a kid with, tries to help a little. She disappears, which seems somewhat typical of a action drama.
Of everything, the ending atypical of Hollywood. Yes, it was still happy but it wasn't the happiest of endings. Plus DeNiro and Franco do a good job in the movie. I am just not sure everybody else did.
Overall, its a moderately good film. "B-"
James Franco, aka Green Goblin, is a junkie who gets involved in a tragic deal gone wrong. Trying to hide from the cops, his father Robert DeNiro reintroduces himself to Franco. After several scenes that might seem typical in a cop drama, Franco and DeNiro play a dangerous game that risks their lives.
There was more drama than action. Eliza Dushku, whom Franco has a kid with, tries to help a little. She disappears, which seems somewhat typical of a action drama.
Of everything, the ending atypical of Hollywood. Yes, it was still happy but it wasn't the happiest of endings. Plus DeNiro and Franco do a good job in the movie. I am just not sure everybody else did.
Overall, its a moderately good film. "B-"
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