City by the Sea2002
City by the Sea (2002)
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Movie Info
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Cast
as Det. Vincent La Marca
as Michelle
as Joseph `Joey' Nova
as Gina
as Spyder
as Reg Duffy
as Maggie
as Dave Simon
as Capt. Henderson
as Snake
as Vanessa Hansen
as Herb
as Baby Angelo
as Rossi
as Arnie
as Baby Angelo
as Margery
as Carl
as Picasso
as Terry
as Lieutenant Katt
as A.P.C. Johnson
as Jason
as Jean
as Bree
as Mayor Jackson
as Reporter Laura
as Evelyn
as Angelo LaMarca
as Medical Examiner
as Bree
as Screaming Teen
as Will
as Reporter Carol
Critic Reviews for City by the Sea
All Critics (144) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (68) | Rotten (76) | DVD (14)
A compendium of clichés about fathers and sons.
A film that doesn't just support the action to come, but makes it seem inevitable.
De Niro's workmanlike in a dismayingly familiar role.
I like everything about it except it.
It's a run-of-the-mill cop thriller but also a gripping family drama.
The real Vincent LaMarca has lived a life that's the stuff of Greek tragedy. Too bad this film can't quite do it justice.
Audience Reviews for City by the Sea
3 3/4's--I rather liked this for what it's worth. Not a big blockbuster movie. A little slow, but it contains some really good actors...minus William Forsythe. I cringe when I see him in movies. All in all, this was an interesting film, and it was a lot better than I had anticipated. Excellent performances by both De Niro, Franco, and Mc Dormand.
Super Reviewer
Michael Caton-Jones takes the helm for this low-key crime thriller about a veteran cop named Vincent LaMarca who becomes conflicted when he learns that the latest murder suspect he's after happens to be his estranged son Joey LaMarca, a troubled junkie. Grim, gritty, and a tad grungy, this should be a great movie. It's got nice atmosphere, a decent set up, and a cast that includes Robert De Niro, James Franco, Frances McDormand, William Forsythe, and Eliza Dushku. However, this just kinda falls flat, especially towards the end. It all starts off decently though, but the film ultimately lacks a strong amount of energy and drive, so the potential for greatness gets squandered, and the film just kinda drifts along without much purpose a lot of the time. The performances are decent, though, and I like the location shooting, but in the end, this really isn't strong enough to warrant much of a recommendation. It comes close, though.
Super Reviewer
Vincent LaMarca: How'd we get this way son? I remember the day you were born. Joey: Yeah? Well, I remember the day you left. So we're even. "When you're searching for a killer... the last suspect you want to see is your son." This is a very average movie with a few great actors and a couple horrible ones. With a better bad guy, this could have been a lot better, but they went the route of William Forsythe and that hurt the movie a lot. Then they threw in Elisha Dushku as Gina and that's pretty much a death sentence for any movie. Robert De Niro, James Franco and Frances McDormand do what they can to save this film from being what it is, but it isn't enough. Vincent LaMarca is a cop who's father was executed for the murder of a baby when he was just eight years old. Now he is investigating a case of a murdered drug dealer and the prime suspect is his son, who he hasn't seen in many years. He has quite a conundrum on his hands. He has to decide how to play this thing. Then more and more things come to the surface which makes it harder and harder for Vincent to act on any impulse. City by the Sea isn't a horrible movie only because of the three excellent actors the film has. Without them, this would have only been a laughable, cliche, and extremely dull film. With them it manages to be entertaining to an extent. Just not enough to overcome the predictable story line and some of the other performances from actors that aren't excellent. It is worth a watch if you really like De Niro or Franco. Just don't expect to be blown away by it.
Super Reviewer
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