Review of Broken City (2013) by Josh L — 12 May 2013

Broken City is an undeniably intriguing and entertaining film, but the plot becomes muddled and messy by the end because there are too many plot twists in short successions. It becomes hard to enjoy the movie when you are trying to figure out the motivations of some characters or the lack thereof.

There are a couple of plot holes that don't ultimately destroy the film, but they are definitely annoying enough to diminish your enjoyment a bit. The performances are mixed. Russell Crowe has fun as the slimy mayor while Mark Wahlberg doesn't add any depth to a character that is completely in his wheelhouse.

Jeffrey Wright gives arguably the best performance as the police commissioner. Broken City also has Catherine Zeta-Jones and Natalie Martinez, but they fail to leave an impression. Alona Tal is the only female who does end up leaving an impression, but the film does nothing with the evident chemistry her and Mark Wahlberg have.

Some of the plot twists are predictable and foreshadowed very early in the film, but the movie makes it out to be a huge revelation when it truly is kind of a whimper. The action is also rather ordinary.

There are a couple chase scenes and action sequences that hold your interest, but they are nothing special. Ultimately, that's how I feel about Broken City as a whole.