City by the Sea

A fairly paint-by-numbers cop drama with a bit of an 80s vibe. Robert De Niro plays Vince, a manhattan cop lured back to Long Beach (and his past) by a drug-related murder connected to his son, Joey (James Franco). Vince and Joey haven't spoken for more than ten years, and Vince must face the sins of his past in order to make things right before it becomes too late.

This isn't a great film but if you enjoy cop or crime dramas you'll find it solid enough. Long Beach is evidentally a sea side slum... the opening credits ironically recall it's conception as an idyllic holiday spot in the early 20th century, something that has long since given way to a wasteland of junkies and collapsed buildings. A lot of City by the Sea's elements make it feel like a throwback to the 1980s - De Niro's cop mullet, William Forsythe as the long-haired, harley-riding bad guy, the heavy-handed music, the use of drugs and responsible parenting as pertinent issues. Adding to this is the cliche of old cops talking about "jerking off" and "taking shits" in order to suggest familiarity and camaraderie - it's the sort of lazy film shorthand that has been overdone to a point where it just feels unnecessarily coarse and contrived rather than humourous.

Where the film excels though is the romantic subplot between Vince and Michelle (Frances McDormand). It actually shines well above the rest of the film - these two consumate actors draw a subtle A-game out of each other, exploring a world weary second chance at love for people who've already been around the block. They're enough at ease with each other at the film's beginning to allow for some degree of exploration without obviousness or melodrama. Michelle actually comes to drive De Niro's character, their dynamic becomes the key motivating factor for him, like she's his conscience. De Niro meanwhile makes his character a bit of an easy-going wiseass - a middle-aged divorcee who enjoys being beholden only to himself, and someone not all that very well equipped to deal with the central issues of the film.

I guess this movie will best appeal to true crime fans, it's a bit slow in the middle but there's a few good scenes (such as the pivotal scene between Joey and Vince towards the end) and everyone seems to be giving it their best despite the film's general lack of ambition.

TRIVIA: Although the film is credited as being based on a true story, the similarities between this and the events connected to real life detective Vincent LaMarca are superficial at best. City by the Sea Hollywoods it up a fair bit - in reality Vince did not have anything to do with the case attached to his son, and the murders connected to the real-life Vince's father and son were deliberate (whereas in the film both are accidental).

DIRECTOR: Michael Caton-Jones
WRITER/SOURCE: Written by Ken Hixon, based on an article from Esquire magazine by Mike McAlary.
KEY ACTORS: Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand, James Franco, William Forsythe, Eliza Dushku, Patti LuPone.

RELATED TEXTS:
- Mystic River deals with similar themes of criminal aptitude vs. family history.