Review of Broken City (2013) by Matt L — 02 Jun 2013

When are these politicians going to learn that crime doesn't pay? Whether it's money laundering, marital affairs, etc., you'd think these guys would knock it off with the corruption, because they always seem to get caught. Seriously, in the real world, politics is a stereotypical dirty business that a vast majority of people considers to be a menacing and destructive - not to mention massively corrupt. So, do we really don't need any more movies about a power hungry politician doing dastardly things to keep their power? The end result for all of the movies devoting their plot to this subject matter is always the same and Broken City is absolutely no exception.

Broken City stars Mark Wahlberg as Billy Taggart a police officer forced to resign after a controversial shooting incident. After becoming a private detective, Taggart is hired by the Mayor of New York, Nicolas Hostetler (Russell Crowe), to investigate his wife, Cathleen (Catherine Zeta-Jones), believing she is having an affair. As Election Day approaches, the mayor also faces off with political opponent, Jack Valliant. Jeffrey Wright, Kyle Chandler, and Alona Tal round out this star-studded cast.

Your initial reaction to hearing about a film with Russell Crowe, Mark Wahlberg, and Catherine Zeta-Jones should typically leave you filled with a high amount of anticipation for seeing a well-acted, entertaining film. After all, these are three of the most acclaimed, high profile names in Hollywood. Sadly, you'll be disappointed with the result this film has to offer. However, in the defense of these actors and actress, the acting is not the problem in this particular situation. You have writer Brian Tucker to blame for this debacle.

Broken City is a drama without drama. It's a thriller without thrill. It is nothing less than an absolute disappointment from a plot standpoint. In some instances, the plot is far too predictable and in other instances, it's far too technical. One minute, Wahlberg's character is a horrific killer and the next he's suddenly the good guy. Russell Crowe portrays a likeable mayor, yet he's also supposed to be some corrupt mastermind running for reelection, while brokering a deal to make himself millions of dollars. These characters just aren't very well thought out and no matter how good an actor is, they can't make up for a poorly written story.

Overall, Broken City can quickly be described as a mediocre story with very little reward. There are glimmers of enjoyment - including a humorous jab at the New York Times, but they only lead you on to let you down. The ending will make you feel as if you just had your ten dollars stolen from you. It might as well go into the pockets of another corrupt politician. Feel free to pass on this one.