City by the Sea

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Frances McDormand, James Franco, Anson Mount, Eliza Dushku
Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
2002

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A New York City homicide detective (Robert DeNiro) finds himself in a terrible situation as the murder he is investigating points to his own estranged son (James Franco) as the killer. He must deal with his own failed parenting as well as his job responsibility as he tries to find the best solution to the situation.

Review:

Tim: I can't remember the last time that I was thoroughly bored with a movie from beginning to end. Even more perplexing is that the movie doesn't seem to have any major flaws. The story is just slow and told in such a way that you will be bored to tears.

This borefest happens to have a really, really good cast that all gives great performances. Robert DeNiro is solid as always and can't be faulted for the film's lackluster outcome. None of the cast is to blame. Frances McDormand does a really good job and I found myself enjoying her (which doesn't happen all the time). James Franco gives a solid and powerful performance. I hope he continues to impress throughout his career.

The film's story is interesting. A cop who is a bad father (he's estranged) has his own paternal issues, his father being a convicted and executed child killer. This cop is stunned to learn his own son is wanted for a murder charge. This is all very interesting and seems like it should be a quite enjoyable drama. Sadly, this movie just doesn't work. City by Sea puzzles you because you have a great cast, an interesting story, but you just feel so bored watching the movie that you're just counting down the minutes until it is over (and trust me, it feels like it lasts about four hours long). This is not a good movie, and don't blame me if you don't listen to my advice.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Score, 15 Minutes, Ronin