Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Seven years after being acquitted on a murder charge, former
cop turned private eye and loan collector, Billy Taggart (Wahlberg) is
contacted the incumbent mayor of New York, Nicholas Hottstettler (Crowe) to
investigate his wife (Zeta-Jones) who he believes to be having an affair. The
reality is much different and has much more severe consequences.
A modern neo-Noir set against the grime and crime of the New
York streets, Broken City is an affective, if by-the-numbers, thriller. Mark
Wahlberg and Russell Crowe make decent leads with strong performances, although
Wahlberg seems a little miscast. The supporting players also make a good show
with both Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jeffrey Wright looking like they fit in such
a Film Noir-influenced universe, with Zeta-Jones playing a role similar to that
of Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974). Where the film falls down is it’s a little
slick for its own good and it, as a whole, feels inconsequential. I hardly
think this film will be in the wider public consciousness after a few years.
The twists are also unremarkable (a big no-no in Noir) but it’s entertaining
enough and worth a look if you enjoy a good thriller.
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