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

1 win.

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 Feaster	...	Secretary - Hostetler (as Odessa Sykes)
Britney Theriot	...	Valerie
Luis Tolentino	...	Mikey Tavarez
Tony Bentley	...	Judge

Storyline

In New York City, detective Billy Taggart goes to court for the murder of the rapist Mikey Tavarez, but the Mayor Nicholas Hostetler and the Chief of Police Carl Fairbanks vanish with important evidence and Billy is declared not guilty by the judge; however, he leaves the police department. Seven years later, Billy is a private detective and lives with his girlfriend Natalie Barrow, who is an aspiring actress and the sister of Mikey's victim. His secretary Katy Bradshaw (Alona Tal) is trying to collect part of the debts to save their business. In the week of the elections, Hostetler summons Billy and offers $25,000 to investigate his wife, Cathleen Hostetler, whom he believes is having a love affair. Billy discovers that Cathleen is meeting Paul Andrews, who is the coordinator of the campaign of Jack Valliant, the opponent of Hostetler and favorite in the election. When Paul is found dead on the street, Billy finds that he had been double-crossed by Hostetler and he decides to ...

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Plot Keywords:

father son relationship | fellatio | title spoken by character | gay slur | election | 

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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 Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 January 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ciudad de sombras

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,268,908, 18 January 2013, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$19,701,164, 20 December 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films (EFO Films), Inferno International, Regency Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point, during a campaign meeting, Jack Valliant (Barry Pepper) tells his team they need that "Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy" moment. Two years prior to this movie, Pepper starred as Robert Kennedy, JFK's brother, in The Kennedys (2011).

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Goofs

In Jack Valliant's elections headquarters there's a poster with the Hebrew word for "Jewish". Though those are the correct letters of the word, they're written left to right instead of right to left (hsiwej).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Prosecutor: Your Honor, it's murder. Even when the police do it.

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Connections

Featured in Putting It All Together: The Making of 'Broken City' (2013)

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Soundtracks

Kathleen
Music written and performed by Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, Claudia Sarne ft. Kirk Hellie
© 2014 Metropolis Movie Music

User Reviews

Broken City - Unexpectedly Enjoyable, Suspenseful and Intriguing!

Detective Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) is booted out of the NYC Police Force under mysterious circumstances relating to a shooting in a low-income housing project, which occurred before the movie begins. New York City Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Russell Crowe) hires Taggart to tail his wife, Cathleen Hostetler (the Beautiful Catherine Zeta-Jones. Needless to say, the Mayor believes his wife is bedding another man - aka cheating. Or is there a bit more to the quest? Along the way, Taggart uncovers a big-money, web of conspiracy involving corruption.

I liked Broken City movie because we don't know who did what and how many people did what to whom. In other words, while we're on edge waiting for the resolution, more perpetrators enter the game and as they say, "the plot thickens." An excellent performance by Russell Crowe; and a good showing from Wahlberg too. Zeta-Jones always shines through. I'm a fan of Alona Tal.

The unanswered questions expanded until the very end when resolution arrived. All in, Much More Suspenseful than I expected.

I did Not like the several times Carl Fairbanks, Police Commissioner (Jeffrey Wright) said "It's complicated" when asked who's involved by Taggert. Aren't most things complicated? Surely the writers could do better than that. A few times, the dialog was muffled, but then maybe it was the theater's sound system or my hearing.

I also liked Katy Bradshaw (Alona Tal) who plays Taggert's officemate and close friend and confidante. It wasn't clear to me the nature of their relationship - lovers, family members, friends or merely coworkers. Maybe I missed the connection. I wish the writers would have developed her character more. I first met Tal in the hit TV series "Leverage" (Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman) where she played Kaye Lynn Gold, country music singer, in The Studio Job (2010). I hope we see more of Tal. Wish Leverage didn't end at the end of Season 5.

See Broken City; You'll enjoy it! Arthur VanDam, film critic and author