City By The Sea
"Two Thumbs Up!" -Ebert & Roper
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 find a way to save his son.
True events inspired this compelling police thriller starring award winning actors Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand and James Franco. De Niro memorably plays LaMarca, burdened by tragedy and his failings as a father.... and now putting his life on the line to do right by his family and profession. "De Niro has been showing us great stuff for 30 years now, but in this movie he shows us something new," the San Francisco's Chronicle's Mick LaSalle wrote. Put another way: a great actor redefines his greatness in City by the Sea.
Member Reviews
I don't blame the actors - movie_goer
The movie starts out and I'm thinking, "wow the footage playing is old and and I wondered if I was watching the right thing". Then it goes present day and there's James Franco. I was like damn, he had films besides Spiderman back then? Franco who fails at portraying a druggie looking for a fix and then a serious incident happens making him question his life and choices.
Without giving up to much of a spoiler- Alert. Somewhere between the 1/2 mark I gave up and turned on Extras Instead. Your asking yourself 30 minutes into the film "Why did I rent this? You know theirs no Point in finishing". Although the suspense and acting are good with accounts to Deniro and Mcdormand, the plot is all-too-familiar and the story moves in a more than predictable direction. Its a shame really!Pretty good movie... - cowellj
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.City By The Sea - Muffy
DeNiro appeared to be held down in this movie. I kept waiting for his true colours but it appeared that they were edited out. Supporting actors played their roles but something didn't flow in the editing room. The movie just was a movie. The basis for the movie was these but it just didn't come together well. A Bit of A Yawner!
Member Reviews
Read All...
I don't blame the actors - movie_goer
The movie starts out and I'm thinking, "wow the footage playing is old and and I wondered if I was watching the right thing". Then it goes present day and there's James Franco. I was like damn, he had films besides Spiderman back then? Franco who fails at ...Pretty good movie... - cowellj
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 ...City By The Sea - Muffy
DeNiro appeared to be held down in this movie. I kept waiting for his true colours but it appeared that they were edited out. Supporting actors played their roles but something didn't flow in the editing room. The movie just was a movie. The basis for ...