Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

dglink Evidently inspired by a true story, the titular "City by the Sea" refers to Long Beach, New York, a decaying seaside town, where much of the action takes place. When a drug deal goes awry, a junkie named Joey kills the dealer, and, together with his buddy, he tosses the body into the sea. Eventually, the dealer's corpse washes up in Manhattan, where two cops are called in to investigate. In a bizarre twist of fate, one of the cops is Joey's estranged father. Meanwhile, Spyder, the local drug boss, displeased by the killing of one of his men and eager to regain respect in the neighborhood, also pursues Joey. In this gritty, downbeat story, few uplifting moments mitigate the tale of drugs, crime, and a supremely dysfunctional family.The cast is strong, and Robert De Niro as Vincent LaMarca, the cop pursuing his son, a suspected murderer, gives good performance as expected; LaMarca struggles not only with having to arrest his son, but also with his own past and the haunting legacy of his father. James Franco is a standout as Joey, the addict struggling with addiction and his father's abandonment. Frances McDormand is always an engaging actress, and, as Michelle, DeNiro's patient girl friend, she plays a woman who knows where she stands in life and the limits of her tolerance. Patti Lupone, the shrewish ex-wife, effectively lays all the blame for their son's problems on DeNiro, while George Dzundzas gives a low-key performance as Reg, DeNiro's loyal partner.Based on an article by Mike McAlary, Ken Hixon's screenplay slowly probes the shadows of LaMarca's multi-generational past and unveils Joey's secrets as well. Filmed in Asbury Park, New Jersey, the film is better than average, and director Michael Caton-Jones maintains a decent pace, although he can do little to brighten a gloomy story. The LaMarca family has decayed like the city of Long Beach; dark roots from the past reach up to strangle succeeding generations and threaten a future one. Fine performances, especially by Franco, make "City by the Sea" worthy viewing, although a stiff drink or a Valium may be required to lift viewers' moods afterwards.

petit76 I was a bit tentative to stream this movie on netflix till I worked up some nerves to give it a shot and spared my two hours of my life to enjoy this slow-paced movie. It was drawn out of a very sluggish story development displaying commotion on a cop's life which turns topsy -turvy after his son inadvertently gets involved in two homicides. The beginning of this movie is quite boring but then it speeds up to a great climax of events engrossing the viewer till the credits end. I liked the music and all the cinematography used in this frugally budgeted movie. I did not see it when it came to the theaters but did not pass up the chance to stream it online. If you are out there bored of your mind stream or rent this movie. It is a great movie. Evren Buyruk

sandover It is strange how a method actor like de Niro relies on conveying such an introvert sense of undoing. Not at his best here, even though at the end he delivers a terrific lesson in rhythm with his speed-up, pant-in-check monologue. I liked the fact that this monologue is sculpted so, given the sense of alarm it had to take into consideration - and I mean it in terms of direction - but it comes too late for any defining purposes. DeNiro is good, yet something lacks, he fails to give a full characterization, contrasted with McDormant who achieves it excellently. The story feels anachronistic and the soundtrack absurd. But one make actually - unexpectedly - like James Franco's Osborne - yeah, from his "Spiderman" character - grin that flashes menacingly at some point.

oleh77 There are a whole lot of movies with action scenes, violence, screaming, etc. This film shows real people, with real emotions, in extreme situations. The plot puts regular folks into situations that could happen to anyone, and could be misunderstood by everyone with potentially fatal results. Luckily, that doesn't happen here.The acting is so natural that it looks like anyone could act like this - but it takes a master (DeNiro, Franco, McDormand) to act like that. Their performances are like a good hifi speaker - "flat" in the sense that nothing is exaggerated.What a welcome change for American films. The only unfortunate result is that this type of film doesn't get Oscar nominations - it should.