City Hall
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Movie Reviews of City Hall
Movie Review: A good subject but the rhythm of a TV film
Summary: 4 Stars
The film concerns a classic theme. In fact it concerns the theme exploited by Batman, from beginning to end, but in real data and details. The mayor of New York, appreciated and very diligent and dynamic, in order to get some project through slightly faster than normal, yields to some pressure from some private business contractors about a criminal drug dealer who should have been sent and kept in prison and he pressurizes the judge in his turn to set him free on probation in spite of a negative probation report that disappears but is not destroyed, be it only because of the political value it represents. And what was to happen happens and a few people, including a black schoolboy is killed in a shoot out between a police detective and that criminal. The city may explode because of it: racial tension because of the black school boy and social tension because of the insecurity such criminals free to roam around and go on with their criminal activities represent to the public. Unluckily the film does not show that tension very well and follows the investigation of the first deputy mayor who wants to find out the truth and does find it out. But along the way a few witnesses are killed, and those who had played some role in the whole business are forced to retire (the judge), to end their career and life (the contractor or the contractor's go between), a public officer who was ready to deliver the disappeared probation report, and some shady character after he provides some crucial information. The mayor himself retires and takes a long vacation; But the main interest of the film is in the exploration of the contortions the mayor is doing to cover up the problem and the contortions he remembers having done in the past that led to the mistake about this probation case. The political philosophy that nothing is pure white or pure black and that everything is grey which is never comfortable to decision makers is invoked as an excuse for wrong but profitable decisions. We are not speaking of necessary compromises to get to some consensus in some domains that are crucial to public interest. We are speaking of considering as less important to take a bad decision about some petty or supposedly petty criminal than some infrastructure or economic project in the city. That is not typical of New York. That is true in any mayoral office. It is just more significant in quantity and in quality in a big metropolitan area like New York and of course in a city or country where police departments are municipal and are controlled by political imperatives. The young deputy mayor is thus pushing the old mayor out of the way, and he derails his ambition to be the governor of New York in order to become the president of the US. The mayor is perfect due to the embodiment Al Pacino offers us since he is able to express ten minutes of dialogue with one facial expression that makes the whole dialogue useless. I find the end slightly mushy with the ex-deputy mayor campaigning in his own name. That seems to mean that he was so attached to justice because he saw his chance to push the mayor out of his own way. Hence he is not better than all the others, just still too young in his ambition.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines
Movie Review: Scandal in the Big Apple
Summary: 4 Stars
This review refers to the 1999 Castle Rock/WB DVD edition....Harold Becker directs a terrific cast in this smart political thriller,"City Hall". It takes place in New York City and revolves around a shootout on the streets of Brooklyn that took the lives of a drug dealer, a cop and a six year old boy caught in the crossfire.
Deputy Mayor Calhoun(John Cusak), an idealistic but in the know transplant from the South,begins his own investagation that at every turn leads him up the ladder of the poltical bosses in New York.It also leads to more murders as the cover up begins.
The drug dealer (the nephew of a powerful crime boss),had been let off on probation a couple of years earlier, and this is the focus of the investagation. How did this happen? Who is responsible for allowing this criminal to walk the streets? Everyone is suspect from the Probation Officer to the sentencing Judge. Or could it go all the way to the top? To the man that Calhoun idealizes,his mentor, his boss, the very savvy, diplomatic Mayor John Pappas(Al Pacino).
Al Pacino gives an electrifying performance as only he could do as the leader of the great city of New York. Cusak is excellent in his role as "The Mayor's Boy". They are joined by one great supporting cast. Danny Aiello, Tony Franciosa, Martin Landau, Bridget Fonda and David Paymer, who all turn in terrific performances.
You don't want to miss a minute of this mystery, there is always a new twist or turn occuring in the plot.We are also treated to lots of scenes of the city itself.
The DVD is in widescreen(also in standard if you prefer),has a nice crisp clear picture, and bright colors. The sound is 2.0 Dolby Surround. Could have been better but dosen't take away from the story. There were no special features included, just a good story with great acting that will have you totally involved. There are subtitiles in English and French.
So get the popcorn ready and enjoy........Laurie
Movie Review: Al Pacino, John Cusack, and Danny Aiello are great!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is one of the best crime-drama movies during the late 1990s. It was filled with a great cast, a huge storyline, and many of the players involved gave great performances. Pacino was great; he should have been nominated for something. John Cusack was good too, as long as the viewer doesn't mind his Louuu-siana accent. He may come off as annoying if you can't stand this dialect. The way that Pacino's character interacted with Cusack's character was believable, dramatic, and slightly comical at times. Danny Aiello was superb as always. David Paymer was great in a supporting role. Bridget Fonda was good but not memorable. There were times when this picture mentioned so many characters, probably too many. It may take a second viewing to remember, "which Zapatti was which?" After so many cross-references, one has to stop and think just to recap.
The ending didn't have a lot of sting. It was built up for so long in a good way and then was a little bit of a letdown. This was one of the few letdowns in the film
I think that since the movie wasn't billed as a huge, blockbuster big screen hit, it made some forget that this movie even existed. Pacino was great but the film's lack of "splash" in the theaters may have accounted for no nominations. It was semi-successful in the home market, and viewers are still learing that this title is out there. Made in 1996, it still stands up seven years later and should still be popular for many years from now.
So, make yourself some lemon pudding (you'll see) and rent this movie! Overall, a great picture.
4 ½ out of 5!!!
Movie Review: Another Fine Pacino Vehicle
Summary: 4 Stars
This film was made and was in theaters after "HEAT", but before "Devil's Advocate" and I must say that I actually liked it more than "Donnie Brasco". Pacino's John Pappas, actually made me wish that there were such a politician in the big apple after the passionate and vigorous speech given at the funeral in Harlem. The fact that at the end we find out that he was not as "kosher" as we were led to believe in the beginning, along with Danny Aiello's corrupt Anselmo, makes a person lose their faith in the movie's public officials as we do in real life after we've put so much faith and trust in them and we have the good script to thank for that. As for the rest of the cast, John Cusack has never been better as Kevin, the rightous deputy mayor along with Aiello and Fonda (too bad only a hint of affection between her and Cusack). Overall, the underrated "City Hall" is entertaining and suspenseful and a great "Pacino movie". Favorite line: Kevin: "The only thing new in this world is the history that you don't know."Movie Review: THE BEST-PERFORMED PACINO MOVIE THAT I'VE EVER SEEN
Summary: 4 Stars
In the first sight, this was boring. It seemed to have no flashing, no surprising but an adventurous investigation on a small uncovered trade of politicians and gangsters by a chick deputy mayor(John Cusack),a Boy of the Mayor(Pacino) with a legal co-cousel(Fonda) belonged to detective endowment association who is to protect a cop's widow from the power's Influence to cover corruption that was made by the same politicians and gangsters that I've mentioned earlier . But as I saw it over N over, I found out that it has a complexed-systematic plot that is Enough to attract my eyes, and above all I think the casting is wonderful,which Expresses the characters that is friendly and lovely but very grave and realistic in the right place. For the lack of words, Pacino's perfom was really at his best. This film is not a show but a part of our life that's well cut.So a little boring and not surprising just like action movies do but as calm as a river flows.However as you see it over, it is going to become interesting and some day remain as a touching human drama in your heart.