Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: City By The Sea

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Community » Film Handlers' Movie Reviews » City By The Sea

Author

Topic: City By The Sea

David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 09-07-2002 06:55 PM

09/07/2002, 2:20PM, Regal Cinema World 8, Eugene OR, #4, probably SR-D. Very good presentation except they seemed to be having trouble striking the lamp at the start -- the lamp dropped out 3 or 4 times (is there a minimum delay between re-strikes on a xenon?). Attendance about 25. The rolling stock included 2 promos for NBC TV shows -- the good part was they were 1.33 images so they looked ridiculous on the scope screen. You'd think they would at least do them in 16:9. Reel 2 or 3 (I lost track when I started dozing off) had white scratches, maybe negative scratches. There was a boom mic hanging down in the top of the frame of the first scene at the oceanfront diner (scope image seemed to be framed properly on the screen).

I haven't walked out of a movie for a long time, but I walked out on this one. It was deadly dull -- I found myself watching the top of the frame to see if I could spot another boom mic. That would have been more interesting than the story in this tired screenplay. Robert DeNiro is a good cop who is a lousy father and husband. The story repeatedly stops in its tracks to tell us many boring details about his personal life. It plays like a sappy TV movie-of-the-week. Actually there are similarities to NYPD Blue, which does this kind of material a whole lot better.

This will be gone from theaters very soon. If you want to see a cop movie, try "Blood Work" which is a MUCH better film.

The good news is I didn't pay any real money to see this -- I used a gift certificate. And I earned 4 more points on my Regal Crown Club card!! A free popcorn is just a few more movies away!!

| IP: Logged

Mike Schindler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1039
From: Oak Park, IL, USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 09-08-2002 12:30 AM

I went into this picture knowing absolutely nothing about it. I hadn't even seen the trailer. I was very skeptical about it, but I ended up liking it quite a bit. What struck me is how DeNiro's character basically spends the entire movie trying tell people things which are blatantly obvious. But for various reasons, these things just aren't registering with the people who he's trying to tell them to, so he needs to keep coming up with different ways to tell these people the same damn thing over and over again until it finally clicks. I felt bad for him, because this is something that I, like everyone else, need to do on a daily basis with the various people in my life. It was just interesting to see it happen on screen.

| IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 09-08-2002 04:58 AM

Terrible film. This is a 100% "formula Hollywood" production with all of the typical "film school" procedures executed to a tee. (The director was probably fresh out of film school.) Really, I think that sums it up nicely.

By the way, was anyone else on the verge of upchucking whenever the blatantly overdone "musical score" turned up? I mean, this has got to be the worst score of all time! I don't know who did it, but I hope he sticks to Vin Diesel movies from now on.

Should you decide to torture yourself with this film, see if you don't also have a hard time taking Deniro's crying scenes seriously after seeing the exact same expressions and damn near the same sounds from "Analyze This". (Yes they were *supposed* to be serious and not comical.)

Oh and before I forget, someone needs to call the dissolve police on the director. ENOUGH ALREADY!

| IP: Logged

Mike Schindler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1039
From: Oak Park, IL, USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 09-08-2002 08:51 AM

"The director was probably fresh out of film school."

Actually, he's been making movies for about 15 years.

| IP: Logged

Mitchell Cope
Master Film Handler

Posts: 256
From: Overland Park, KS, United States
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-08-2002 09:00 AM

I can't disagree with Brad and David, the movie is flawed in presentation and script writing. Yes, "NYPD Blue" is pretty darn good at telling a cop story. I guess they get more practice. Makes the high paid movie makers look like amateurs.

-------------------- SPOILERS AHEAD --------------------------------

...And, De Niro's partner is played by George Dzundza. He was Michael Douglas' partner in "Basic Instinct". When he got killed, I thought, "what a coincidence". Get in shape pal... you're either going to get shot or die of a heart attack.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.