Review of City Island (2009) by Thomas W — 24 Oct 2010

It can be lumped together with the other "dysfunctional family dramadies" that come out ever year; but City Island is a grade above all of them and they aren't really a dysfunctional family unit at all.

The family actually fits together and works like any regular family; but they have one single problem. None of them can be open and honest with one another about hopes, dreams, aspirations and their past.

It takes the addition of one new member to the family house and a new friend outside of the house to make everyone realize the necessity of honesty and openess. Andy Garcia (The Godfather Part III, When a Man Loves a Woman) plays the family patriarch, Vincent Rizzo, who is a corrections officer but dreams of being an actor.

His wife is played by The Good Wife's Julianna Margulies who begins to question her husband's weekly poker games (he is actually taking an acting class) where he meets sweet-talking Emily Mortimer (Elizabeth, Lars and the Real Girl), a pretty-much failed actress who has a deep, dark secret of her very own.

The story follows a formula we have seen before, but the acting here is top-notch and better than most run-of-the-mill family dramadies. Garcia hasn't been better in quite some time and Mortimer is always a joy to watch (and listen too -- love her cooing voice).

This is a little-heard of film from early in the year; but it is a decent little film. The film could be called "quirky" but I wouldn't go that far ... each character is realistic and fleshed-out with motivation(s).

I bought them all (perhaps the son was more implied than others; but one outta five or six isn't so bad.).