City by the Sea (2002)

A brief comment
Robert DeNiro turns in a fine performance as a dedicated policemen and father who's trying to saving his son from a crime he didn't commit. His job is made all the harder by his estranged relationship with his son, who he hasn't seen in many years. The movie takes place against the backdrop of the once chic city of Long Beach, New York, once a little paradise by the sea, but has since seen better days. Now miles of abandoned old hotels, casinos, and other buildings line the shores, seemingly frequented these days only by junkies, drug dealers, and other outcasts of society, including DiNero's son. DeNiro must battle old prejudices and demons, such as his own father's notorious criminal past, his failed relationship with his son, and a police dept. that has already concluded his son is guilty and is going to bring him in dead or alive. James Franco as DeNiro's junkie son and Frances McDormand also turn in fine performances, although McDormand doesn't get a whole lot of on screen time.

One thing is I usually notice movie scores, since there are many movie composers whose music I like, such as the great Jerry Goldsmith (who recently passed away, but his music will live on), but this movie kept me absorbed enough so that I don't even remember the music. Overall this is a good movie and worth seeing, especially if you're a DeNiro fan.

A fast paced thriller!
City by the Sea is a great movie! I enjoyed the irony of it. A father, played by Robert DeNiro, is trying to convince his son to turn himself in, while at the same time prove he's innocent! Corruption and Betrayal run high! There are many great actors in this film and it is produced well. I don't understand why more people were not talking about this excellent show when it came out in theaters, I guess everyone has an opinion.

DeNiro is only star in this so-so crime drama.
This film is disappointing, considering the acting talent used in it. The story is about a cop whose son gets into some trouble, and is supposedley framed. His father, the cop (DeNiro) must try to stay within the boundaries of his job while at the same time clear his troubled sons name of the crime. It is not very suspenseful and the end result, regardless what avenue they take, is dull. There is no wonder for who really committed the crime, who framed who, or who will come out the victor in the end of the movie. It just falls flat and it's to bad that DeNiro wasted his time and talents being in this film. If you want some great crime drama films that push this to shame, try recent movies like Along came a spider, Man on Fire, or Collateral. Deeper plots without the predictable outcomes.