Review of City by the Sea (2002) by Eleshia B — 07 Mar 2013
New York City homicide detective "Vincent LaMarca" (Robert De Niro) investigates the murder of a drug pusher -- and the prime suspect is his own drug addicted, estranged son (James Franco). However, he's not the only one who wants his son.
This is one of the best acted movies I've seen. Nearly every actor did a really good job. The only problem is that some of the characters were in it less than they should have been in my opinion.
De Niro and especially Franco have the best performances in this movie. You can actually sense the rift between the two. You can also feel the inner struggle of Franco's character as he battles drug addiction.
The visuals are not that spectacular. The scenes that are actually filmed in NYC don't use the metropolis to its advantage. Another problem is the movie's locations where Franco's character lives isn't as rundown as you'd expect to see.
The script itself is not bad and the movie is well-paced. There isn't much suspense like there should have been. A movie like this should have had more dramatic scenes of the son running from the law.
This is one movie you should consider renting the next time you go to your local rental store. Just about everything makes this movie worth taking a look at.
This review of City by the Sea (2002) was written by Eleshia B on 07 Mar 2013.
City by the Sea has generally received mixed reviews.
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