Like a book you can't put down, this is one of the rare movies that simply keeps getting better and better.
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09/05/02
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City by the Sea (2002)
48
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:140
Fresh:67
Rotten:73
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: Even though the movie is well acted, it sinks under an abundance of melodrama and cliches.
Theatrical Release:Sep 6, 2002 Wide
Box Office: $22,369,941
Synopsis: New York City homicide detective Vincent LaMarca (Robert De Niro) has forged a long and distinguished career in law enforcement, making a name for himself as a man intensely committed to his... [More]
Starring: Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand, George Dzundza, James Franco
Director: Michael Caton-Jones
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Reviews for City by the Sea
Top CriticIf you ignore the cliches and concentrate on City by the Sea's interpersonal drama, it ain't half-bad.
09/05/02
Too long, and larded with exposition, this somber cop drama ultimately feels as flat as the scruffy sands of its titular community.
09/05/02
City by the Sea is the cinematic equivalent of defensive driving: It's careful, conscientious and makes no major mistakes. But what saves lives on the freeway does not necessarily make for persuasive viewing.
09/05/02
Top CriticFor the first time in years, De Niro digs deep emotionally, perhaps because he's been stirred by the powerful work of his co-stars.
09/05/02
You've already seen City by the Sea under a variety of titles, but it's worth yet another visit.
09/05/02
Top CriticAn ambitious drama that never reaches any of its goals but has some watchable moments along the way.
09/05/02
Unfortunately the story and the actors are served with a hack script.
09/05/02
It's a testament to De Niro and director Michael Caton-Jones that by movie's end, we accept the characters and the film, flaws and all.
09/05/02
Those who venture into a theater playing City by the Sea will find their two hours well spent
09/05/02
Top CriticWithout De Niro and McDormand, City By The Sea could have easily been just another cheesy cop drama. With them, it's a moving story about fathers and sons, and how it's never too late to change your life.
09/05/02
Top CriticCity by the Sea would have been a TV movie-of-the-week without De Niro's name attached. That said, it's easily his most moving, nuanced performance in years.
09/05/02
All movie long, City by the Sea swings from one approach to the other, but in the end, it stays in formula -- which is a waste of De Niro, McDormand and the other good actors in the cast.
09/05/02
Top CriticWell-acted, intelligent and honest, the film works too hard to be meaningful -- and it's never good to see a movie sweat.
09/05/02
Top Critic...does with artful subtlety what `Road to Perdition' did with artsy pretension.
09/05/02
Paints such an authentic, vivid picture of the fictional Vincent's life (that) most of the film doesn't feel conspicuously scripted. The ending, however, screams "Hollywood."
09/05/02
De Niro and McDormand give solid performances, but their screen time is sabotaged by the story’s inability to create interest.
09/04/02
Robert DeNiro is finally back!
09/04/02
The movie turns into a policier version of an Arthur Miller father-son truthfest, which is at once corny, a little schematic, and just honest enough to work.
09/04/02
Top CriticEssentially a broad and laggard melodrama packed with unconvincing highs and unmoving lows.
09/03/02
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