Review of City Island (2009) by Anna Julianna R — 09 May 2010
I like the actors so I wish I hadn't seen it. Awful, plain and simple. Cliche-ridden. Nine clunky coincidences - count 'em. Uneven, inaccurate accents - straight out of the Learning Access. Final denouement like a mouthful of overcooked whole wheat spaghetti - cardboard replica swimming in sugar-sweet sauce from a jar.
(eg. Daddy Rizzo erases twenty-five years of abandonment with a goombah kiss to Tony's cheek. God Bless Sicilia!) DeNiro and Scorcese should sue for even referencing their names. If Jerry Garcia played the lead role it could not have hurt this movie.
It was painful to watch. Bottom line: If you're going to mess with this tired, by-now-mostly-insulting macaroni-genre, it better be authentic. And did I mention all of the coincidences? Without them, the plot would still be stuck at the drawbridge: "Welcome to City Island" Best to turn around and go home.
This review of City Island (2009) was written by Anna Julianna R on 09 May 2010.
City Island has generally received positive reviews.
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