Review of City Hall (1996) by Mark S — 21 Aug 2010

One of those types of films that you just can't believe at all because you're too aware you're watching people play at things they in reality know nothing about. John Cusack is really not suited to playing an aide to the Mayor of New York, and the less said about Bridget Fonda as an attorney the better.

Both were miscast, which is quite a problem given they are two of the main leads. Pacino is okay, and is presented with the opportunity to give one of his shouty Pacinio speeches, where he chooses to FIGHT BACK; to RISE, not FALL; to LIVE, not DIE.

It's actually one of the highlights of the film for me, which is perhaps not surprising considering I was only watching it as it stars Pacino, but it's so typically Pacino, and in this case so OTT and out of context given he's bellowing it at a funeral where he's not welcome, that I just couldn't take it seriously, it felt more like a spoof impersonation of him.

And that's just the problem with the film as a whole, it's not convincing.