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City by the Sea (2002) Warner Brothers 1 hr. 48 mins. Starring: Robert DeNiro, Frances McDormand, James Franco, George Dzundza, Eliza Dushku, William Forsythe, Patti LuPone Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones City by the Sea Rating:  
E-MAIL GIANCARLO DE LISI The Robert De Niro as we have come to know and love has only recently come to slowly relegate his perennial dramatic roles to settle for dismal comedic fare. Thankfully, the Bobby D. I have grown to worship returns in doing what he does best, and that is pure acting. I even sat through ‘The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle’ out of respect for him and to this day was still waiting for him to make it up to me. For some time, I even thought perhaps he had lost the thirst to do what he does best; yet, with his newest film ‘City by the Sea’ he casts away all the previous criticisms and displays what an actor’s actor is all about. Director Michael Caton-Jones (The Jackal, This Boy’s Life) surprisingly engineers a well-made film in which despite it being a drama, runs at a very fluid rate. Based on an Esquire article by Mike McAlary, the film delves deep into the life of New York Law Enforcer Vincent LaMarca (DeNiro) who must put his feelings aside as he must track a killer who happens to be his estranged son. Actor James Franco (Spider-Man) does a marvelous job at encapsulating the vulnerability and fragility of this estranged junkie son who does not know what is best. In comparison to other cop films, this is a refreshing and moralistic film that is elegantly filmed, well paced and throws the audience a myriad of subplots to follow simultaneously. The film opens with a 1950’s style shot of Long Beach, New York where the film’s heart is and quickly brings the audience into all the characters involved in the immediate story. Furthermore, I challenge anyone to find a scene within the first half hour that lasts for more than 90 seconds in duration. The film opens with an opening title sequence which sets the tone with a sense of nostalgia and yesteryear wonder only to halfway quickly bury the viewer in a plethora of drug abuse and poverty that has engulfed Joey LaMarca (James Franco) in his evil doings. Director Micheal Caton-Jones infuses enough serenity and compassion to allow the actors to interplay and evoke a sense of unity on film. On a vast scale, this film is about relationships. But in detail it is about the relationships we failed in, the relationships we regretted, and the relationships we never had. In studying the Vincent LaMarca character, we can notice his world changes in a period of 24 hours thusly allowing his romantic relationship to suffer and his professional career to be jeopardized. Frances McDormand plays DeNiro’s love interest and as great as an actress she is, I questioned her casting. Then again, for those who have seen the film, perhaps the casting was intentional as the film’s ending reveals. In addition, the film is a cop drama but without the useless shootouts, the kinetic chase sequences and all the unnecessary and fabricated traits we are so used to seeing. This film is about the interplay of characters within the film and how their lives interrelate. If one is expecting a shoot ‘em up actioneer, they will be deeply disappointed. What one can expect is a superb character study on the errors and inabilities of one man, and how they come back to haunt him. In a nutshell, the sins of a father have come back to haunt his son, and now LaMarca must fend on his own and make the best of a very bad situation. This film encapsulates what great acting should be, while I might attest to a personal bias on Bobby D’s behalf, this film surrounds itself with rich and amiable talent only adding to the film’s greatness. As for Director Caton-Jones, he has only made a handful of films in the past the best of which was made almost 10 years ago (This Boy’s Life), yet; with this film he assembles all the prerequisites of cinema and creates a glorious and deeply moving film which should be appreciated for the performances alone. Click here to comment on this review or post your own thoughts. Giancarlo De Lisi © TheWorldJournal.com |
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