City By The Sea Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
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 forged a long and distinguished career in law enforcement, making a name for himself as a man intensely committed to his work. But on his latest case, the stakes are higher for Vincent—the suspect he's investigating is his own son. He and Joey have been painfully estranged ever since Vincent divorced his wife 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 at arm's length; the closest relationship he maintains is with his partner, Reg—and Vincent makes sure that stops at the precinct door. As long as Vincent lives in the protection of the present, he doesn't have to deal with the pain of his past—or his sorrow over his broken relationship with Joey. But 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.
| Robert De Niro | Vincent LaMarca |
| Frances McDormand | Michelle |
| James Franco | Joey |
| Eliza Dushku | Gina |
| William Forsythe | Spyder |
| Patti LuPone | Maggie |
| 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 |
| Michael Caton-Jones |
6.20 out of 10 (7694 votes)
Visitor Reviews
run of the mill production
posted on 27 Jul 2009saw this film at the montreal film festival..certainly not a film for a competition ...well done but a genre seen a thousand time.. de niro and james franco very good..a waste of frances mcdormand talent..that actress doesn't seem to find the right vehicle for her huge acting talent.. still entertaining and a must for all robert de niro fan
Robert DeNiro Saves a Drama that leans towards bathos
posted on 23 Jul 2009Question: Does DeNiro ever give a bad performance. His range is as great as any film actor alive. This is a highly layered story, where good and evil become relative, a quality possessed by three generations of men. You can read about the plot in other reviews. What I'm here to tell you is that a great actor can elevate a mediocre story. Nowhere is it more apparent than in the scene where he asks his kid to give up the gun. This monologue is of the same quality as we find in "Mean Streets", "Taxi Driver" or "Raging Bull". The nuanced performance is something to see. If you are looking for a great movie, this isn't it, but if you want to see perhaps the most talented screen actor of his time, it's all there, waiting for you.
Great acting...yet lacking something..
posted on 15 Jul 2009Great acting by Robert Deniro as always, but this story desperately needed work. You could tell throughout the film that the cast was looking for something to make out of this...something to grasp onto. During one pivotal scene where Deniro is coming clean with his son, he can see the desperation of an actor trying to make more out a scene than the actual scene calls for.I thought the use of Long Beach, NY as a dark, once happy place was quite fitting. They did a good job of tying the actual area in with the story line, but again...it really just kind of dragged on. I think that as another reviewer stated...this would have done well if it was a bit shorter and maybe a bit more thought out. A movie is many times, like building a house. You start with a good foundation..then build up. A bit more background information for the foundation would have been nice, then bring us up to speed. Anyway, I would give it a 6 out of 10.
Tired looking police drama.
posted on 13 Jul 2009This movie offers nothing new in terms of a story or acting performance.
It's just a standard police drama slapped together without a whole lot of thought put into it.Robert De Niro plays a police detective running from his past. His father was executed for a bungled kidnapping, and now his estranged junkie son is wanted by the police for a double homicide. The movie basically deals with how his character fights the urge to run away from family responsibilities. You'd think De Niro would have elevated this film at least a little bit by his presence, but he basically just mails in his performance. At times he even seems to be mimicking past characters he's played, like Jimmy Conway from "Goodfellas" - particularly the scene where he and Paul Sorvino are telling Ray Liotta's character he has to clean up his act and go home to his wife. This film adds nothing to De Niro's resumé.And what is Frances McDormand doing playing a relatively minor part like De Niro's girlfriend? She tries to add some depth to the character, but the script is working against her.Patti LuPone reprises the bitchy character she's played in several movies and television spots. George Dzundza plays the same sort of cop he played on "Law and Order." William Forsythe plays the same psycho killer he played in "Out For Justice." And James Franco is eminently forgettable in the role of De Niro's son.This film looks like something everyone did to pay the rent.
Really real
posted on 05 Jul 2009City 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.
Eliza Dushku will marry the Green Goblin
posted on 13 Jun 2009Robert 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-"
Good
posted on 11 Jun 2009"City by the Sea" was good, just good. I thought the ending somewhat fell apart and some scenes were rather clunky. Robert DeNiro was good but looked uncomfortable in some scenes. Frances McDormand, as always, played her part to perfection. She inhabits a role and brings it to life. Her characters are always true to life, not overly emoted but real. She is a delight. The rest of the cast was competent. The screenplay could have used some work but overall it is a worthwhile movie.
Another De Niro classic
posted on 24 May 2009This movie masterpiece is yet another example of why Robert De Niro is the best actor of our generation. You believe in this person, despite the fact that he's not particularly likable. It's a dark film that takes you into the depth of it's angst. It's also a good example of when Hollywood stops manufacturing plastic fluff and uses well developed characterizations to tell a really gripping story. The depth of sadness is palatable and compelling. No glossy sets, no wannabe starlets:- just brilliant acting, excellent casting, sharp direction and a really good script and storyline. This is what a movie should be. Long after other movies are buried and forgotten this gem will still haunt your thoughts. Well worth spending 2 hours on.
take the time to watch the film
posted on 02 May 2009If 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
Responsibility!
posted on 26 Apr 2009this movie is about taking responsibility. i cried watching this movie, because this is the real stuff. i had no clue what to expect with this movie. but it's real life! it really shows that abandoning kids at a young age does screw them up. walking out on your responsibility is not worth it. cos it screws you up and generations..it's an awesome movie! teaches a lot!!
Excellent movie that didn't get enough attention
posted on 24 Apr 2009I'm sorry to see this movie come and go from the box office so quickly. It's one of those movies people will rent in a few months and be thrilled that they were able to stumble across such a good find at the video store.De Niro's character (Vincent) is very real in that he struggles with every relationship in his life ... an ex-wife who is still angry and bitter over his abandonment of her and their son years before; his son who desperately missed him while growing up and after making serious mistakes now needs his father's help before it's too late; his love interest, magnificently played by the always perfect Frances McDormand, who pushes him to dig deeper and ask more of himself than he's comfortable doing.James Franco's star should continue rising -- he is completely believable as the much troubled son, Joey.There are very few predictable moments in this movie and for the most part the audience is pulled along not knowing what will happen to the characters. Will past regrets and good intentions be enough to redeem Vincent La Marca? Go see this movie and decide for yourself.
Solid drama but not that impressive or as well done as I would have liked
posted on 10 Apr 2009NYPD Detective Vincent LaMarca picks up a floater outside the City that he traces back to Long Beach. With questions, pressure and a bit of luck they turn up junkie and dealer Spider from Long Beach, who tells them the murderer was none other than fellow junkie Joey Nova. However Joey is also the estranged son of Vincent – a fact that sees him removed from the case. While the media seize on the story with links made to the crimes of Vincent's own father, a further body brings things rapidly to a head.The basic plot sounds like a crime thriller and indeed with De Niro playing a cop, I expected more or less just that. Instead the film is more a character drama, which in theory offered the potential to be more interesting but in reality means that it sets itself up for a challenge that is greater than can be pulled off. It is a shame because the potential is right there. The coincidences within the LaMarca family are a bit difficult to get over but once you are beyond this what is served is an interesting character story where I did find myself taken in to the many aspects of the lives in front of me. The film doesn't develop these far enough and as a result it only worked reasonably well. The further it goes, the more it became obvious that the script hadn't done enough and indeed the conclusion didn't totally work for me because it asked me to be in a place where I didn't think the material had gotten me to.Despite this though the drama is still engaging and solid enough with an unspectacular script. I mean this last comment as a positive because I thought the lack of fireworks and overwrought actions made it more accessible and indeed I would have preferred fewer narrative twists along the way to have given more room to the characters to breathe. The cast do pretty well with the material although the potential within them was part of the reason why I had hoped for more material and less plot. De Niro doesn't find the depth when it is asked of him but otherwise he does produce a solidly good character. Franco is good despite having a harder job. McDormand and Dushku have lesser roles but both done alright with them. Forsythe and Tarantina are just off to the side although the latter is more better than the former, who is just doing the basics to drive the story forward.Overall then an interesting character drama but it has too little development in the characters and too much going on within the plot. The opposite would have made things better because it would have seen more of a character feel coming out but it is still solid and engaging anyway.
Boring, Boring, Boring
posted on 30 Jan 2009Notwithstanding its fine cast, CITY BY THE SEA is dull and predictable. I guess that is the result of trying to stretch a magazine article into a full-blown movie screenplay.Also, it saddens me to say that Mr. DeNiro, one of America's finest actors, is once again cast in a mediocre movie which does nothing to stretch his considerable acting talent. His recent dramatic efforts, CITY BY THE SEA, THE SCORE, 15 MINUTES, MEN OF HONOR, RONIN were all lackluster films in which he seems to play the same role. I think it's time for him to call his old friend Martin Scorsese and team up again.CLAUDIA'S BOTTOM LINE: This yawner will be available soon at your local video store.
Simply Brilliant
posted on 18 Jan 2009This was one of those movies i saw while arriving at the theatre with my mother both of us planning to go see different movies. Somehow i got dragged in with her to see City By the Sea instead of...i think it was SwimFan. Well let me say that i wasn't disappointed. I've always been a big fan of DeNiro, all of his movies are top notch. (I heard SwimFan was awful anyway.) The movie had an excellent and easy-to-follow plot, and overall i thought the movie was very powerful and even somewhat depressing. I loved the movie from the moment it started until the credits ceased to roll. I rate this movie a 9/10 and if you love drama mixed with crime this is definitely a film for you.
A good film but it could have been great!
posted on 10 Jan 2009CITY BY THE SEA stars Robert DeNiro as a tough, sharp New York City cop who becomes caught up in a murder case in which his son (brilliantly played by future Oscar winner James Franco from SPIDER-MAN fame) is the main suspect. Not to mention, that murder runs in the family. DeNiro's character's father was convicted of murder.
This is the stuff compelling dramas are made of and for the most part, the film works. While the two films are very different in plot, ROAD TO PERDITION and this film both boil down to being about the relationships between a father and a son. All of the performances are great except for William Forsythe who seems out of place as a comic book like villain who rides through drive thrus menacing young girls at the window. I recommend checking this out. It's not great but you will be entertained. Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones (ROB ROY)Cast: Robert DeNiro (TAXI DRIVER), James Franco (SPIDER-MAN), Eliza Dushku (THE NEW GUY), William Forsythe (HARD CASH), and Frances McDormand (FARGO).
Looks like a college film
posted on 02 Jan 2009If this movie was early in Robert DeNiro's acting career, nobody would know who he is today. Nobody in this movie seemed to have any acting skills beyond the characters you see in college films. At parts where the movie was supposed to be serious, it turned into a comedy for me because I was laughing so hard at how bad the movie was. I especially liked how deniro and his partner (police officers) were approaching a red right during a conversation, and in the next cut were driving down the road somewhere else. I also liked how deniro's character, a cop, let a stranger into his house, didn't search her, turned his back on her, and let her take a few bucks ("I only a couple dollars. I won't steal your money and never come back!") without him watching. I also wish I had a woman as understanding as joey nova's girlfriend. Joey, "I killed somebody" Gina (in a calm tone), "Oh, honey, why did you do that?" And how understanding Michele (deniro's girlfriend) was. Deniro, "My dad's a baby killer, I haven't called you in a while, I lied that I do have a kid, oh and a grandson, oh and did I mention I'm a wife beater?" Michelle (in a calm tone), "Hmmm. You should have told me this before." As she then proceeds to twirl his hair in her hand. If you count the number of times the movie uses a dissolve between scenes, it will be more than the number of people that actually watched this movie. The movie jumps around, has no flow, and seems as if the director didn't what scene to use next. At no point in the movie was I curious to find out what was going to happen next. Save time by not watching this movie.
Complex crime/family drama
posted on 17 Nov 2008**CONTAINS A LOT OF SPOILERS**After seeing James Franco in "Sonny", I wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself and I am glad I did. This is really an excellent movie, with a lot going on, and I found all of it intensely interesting and realistic.Joey (Franco) accidentally kills a dealer (Joey is a junkie) and when father/cop DeNiro gets wind of it, he wants to bring him in. Father and son have been estranged for years. When DeNiro's partner gets killed, its pinned on Joey, even though he didn't do it. Since father and son haven't seen each other in so long, by now even their baggage has baggage. DeNiro's father was imprisoned then executed when he was a child for a kidnapping gone bad so you have the makings for a family history of bitterness, estrangement and resentment up the wazoo. DeNiro is trying his best not to let the hurt continue but is not getting nor receiving much help from anyone since its believed Joey's the murderer, and cops being cops become very over-zealous when one of their own has been killed...Frances McDormand might have taken the generic 'girlfriend' role for the chance to work with DeNiro (or maybe she has a mortgage payment due, what do I know) but she's kind of wasted. William Forsythe as a dealer, Eliza Dushku and Patti Lupone are part of the large cast and are all excellent.
Special mention goes to Anson Mount, who has a small but important role as a cop. I saw and liked him in another movie. "Tully", and think he's on his way.Franco is very good and does not play the junkie/New York accent/homeless/needy thing to death. His portrayal as Joey is totally believable, and he more than holds his own in his scenes with DeNiro. The end of the movie is emotionally satisfying. All in all, two huge thumbs up. 9/10.
What Gives?
posted on 09 Nov 2008Initially, I wasn't about to make a comment but after reading the undeserved scathing attack made on this film by some people, I felt compelled to defend it. I thought this film was worth watching for brilliant acting alone. James Franco and Robert De Niro went head to head for vigour, heart and style to showcase their talent. It's not that bad a script and I don't know what people were expecting. Perhaps the lack of special effects and explosions have quelled the little attention some have paid whilst viewing it. Maybe they went into a different cinema and saw the wrong film?
Another vehicle for Bobby D
posted on 03 Nov 2008I guess Deniro didn't have enough material depictive of his great acting ability for 'ironic predicamental circumstances' so he or someone form-fitted this movie for him like a body suit. Cheez...I got this movie with a rent one, get one free --- and I'm am glad for that thank you. It's good Deniro genre with ALL the parts for you to get the essence of pathetic character that he does so well. But if you are a Deniro 'historian' it comes off unexciting and boring because we have seen this all before in tasty portions instead of one large dose.
powerful modern morality play
posted on 14 Aug 2009One of the genuine sleepers of 2002, `City by the Sea' is that rare police procedural that is far more concerned with the complexities of its characters than with the intricacies of its plot. Serious in purpose and elegiac in tone, the film transcends its genre to become a fascinating rumination on the passage of time, particularly as it concerns the pain, guilt and self-recrimination that often accompany a life spent making all the wrong choices. In this case, the chief ruminator is Vincent La Marca, a soft-spoken, well-meaning and highly respected Manhattan detective whose wayward son – the one Vincent virtually abandoned upon a bitter divorce a number of years back – becomes the prime suspect in two murders. Vincent is suddenly confronted with having to bring his own son in on murder charges, the son from whom he has been estranged all these years. The sophisticated Ken Hixon screenplay (based on a nonfiction article by Mike McAlary) eschews stereotypes and clichés in favor of complicated adult relationships and broad-based themes. The passage of time issue is reflected even down to the film's setting. The movie begins with old grainy footage of Long Beach, New York, a seaside resort that, in its heyday, played host to thousands of Manhattan residents seeking surcease from the hustle, bustle and grime of sweltering city life. Now the community has fallen to ruins, its ramshackle buildings and deserted carnival rides acting as a ghostly backdrop for the movie's story. Vincent remembers a time when `everything there was new,' and wonders aloud how it got to the point where it appears `as if the Serbian army had come through.' The setting perfectly echoes the realities of Vincent's own life – the happy childhood cut short by his father's execution for murder and the consequent shame and guilt Vincent had to bear for another's mistake, a marriage that ended in a hostile divorce and the `abandonment' of his own beloved son, and now the tentative relationship he is having with a downstairs neighbor, a relationship Vincent is unable or unwilling to commit to fully, perhaps out of fear of making the same mistake twice. Vincent is a contemplative soul, a man searching for the fine line that separates responsibility from rationalization, forgiveness from punishment, indifference from guilt – and finding that there are no easy, penny-ante answers to life's deepest questions. Vincent is beautifully portrayed by Robert De Niro who brings to the role such an air of understated emotion that we never doubt for a moment the reality of this man's feelings and convictions. Though the movie does, from time to time, teeter precariously on the edge of melodrama, De Niro's performance always manages to pull it back from the abyss, making the story believable and touching. He is immensely aided by Frances McDormand as the understanding but no-nonsense neighbor with whom Vincent shares a bed but rarely the details of his life, James Franco as Vincent's troubled son who feels keenly the void left by his father's departure, and Patti Lu Pone (who was herself born and raised in Long Beach, NY) as Vincent's understandably embittered ex-wife. The beauty of the screenplay is that it manages to see all these characters for the deeply troubled and flawed individuals they are, yet does not feel compelled to pass harsh judgments on them. They are merely ordinary people trying to come to grips with the messy decisions they've made in the past and attempting to find some redemption in the decisions they are being compelled by circumstances to make now. The symmetry of having both a father and a son guilty of committing murders gives Vincent a unique insight into the special bond that accompanies virtually all filial relationships.Director Michael Caton-Jones has wisely opted to tone down the `action' elements of the screenplay, choosing instead to concentrate on the intimate nature of the film's many crisscrossing and overlapping relationships. He is not afraid to let the scenes play themselves out in an unhurried, unrushed manner, with the characters often speaking in little more than hushed tones as they endeavor to unravel the complexities of the lives they've made for themselves. That may make certain members of the audience restive, but anyone who appreciates fine, personal drama will find ample rewards in `City by the Sea.'