When you have a film that stars big-name talent like Mark
Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, you expect it to get a prime
slot in the release schedule. Instead, Broken
City gets dropped into the wasteland of January. Without all the famous
faces, it could have easily faded off into direct-to-video obscurity.
Broken City opens
with Det. Billy Taggart (Wahlberg) at the center of controversy for gunning
down a teenaged rape suspect in the Bolton Village projects of Brooklyn. Crucial
evidence is covered up by Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Crowe) and the Chief of
Police Carl Fairbanks (Jeffrey Wright) and the case is dropped though Taggart
is forced to resign from the NYPD. For the next several years, he ekes out a
living as a private investigator snapping pictures of adulterers. The Mayor,
currently in a heated campaign against a young upstart subtly named Jack
Valliant (Barry Pepper), hires Taggart for the sum of $50,000 to collect
evidence that his wife, Cathleen (Zeta-Jones), is cheating on him. Taggart
thinks it will be an easy payday until his mark ends up dead. It's the tip of a
vast conspiracy involving a land deal that could mean billions for a few and
forced evictions are hundreds of people.
Broken City is the
first solo effort for Allen Hughes who has previously directed Menace II Society, From Hell, and The Book of Eli with his twin brother Albert. Newcomer Brian Tucker wrote the
screenplay, which has been in development for several years and once made the
Black List. That must have been a completely different version. Hughes and
Tucker have created a glossy little blockbuster with aspirations of being a
socially relevant political thriller. Instead, what we get is a bastardized and
sanitized hybrid of Chinatown with
the works of Sidney Lumet, specifically Serpico
and Prince of the City, except
there's no grit or rich storytelling to be found. The script relies too heavily
on lazy contrivances to advance the plot. At one point, Taggart falls off the
wagon and stumbles through the streets drunk. Then, he's called to a crime
scene and shows up completely sober. Another scene Taggart observes the bad
guys shredding and disposing of documents. Yet, he just happens to find an
entire box full of incriminating evidence in pristine condition right next to
the dumpster.
Wahlberg has made it a habit of playing these blue collar
Joes and he's perfectly adequate here. The rest of the cast is strong though
Jeffrey Wright blows everybody out of the water for what little he is given.
Standing out amongst all the veteran talent is young Israeli actress Alona Tal
(who some might recognize for her stints on Veronica
Mars and Supernatural) as
Taggart's loyal secretary Katy. Tal beams in a spunky performance and has some
great banter with Wahlberg.
Broken City is
disposable cinema, utterly forgettable save for those who are tremendous fans
of hard boiled dialogue and macho posturing.
Rating: ** (*****)
No comments:
Post a Comment