On N List of Movie Reviews
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Night Falls on Manhattan (1996)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
1/17, 4/24
1/17:
Night Falls on Manhattan is a good, solid political drama directed by the ever-reliable Sidney Lumet.
It's the fourth such film about police corruption for him. The first three are
Serpico,
Prince of the City,
and Q & A. I guess the adage works: if it
ain't broke, don't fix it.
The cast is superb, turning in strong performances. However, a few of them have been dangerously close to
overacting including Ian Holm, Ron Leibman, and James Gandolfini.
Andy Garcia is a terrific actor who's the star of the show. However, Lena Olin looks too old to play his
love interest. Shiek Mahmud-Bey is interesting, but the color of his eyes is distracting which turns out to
be fake. So is the hair at the back of his head. I've never realized Richard Dreyfuss is a very short man.
Looking up the internet, I found out that he's five five tall. Regardless, Richard Dreyfuss does a good job of
playing the defense attorney.
The plot is powerful, reminding me of City Hall which was released during
the same year. It's about how being idealistic doesn't work in the face of the criminal system. But learning
how to deal with the reality is the most important thing in order to survive in the jungle. However, keeping
the conscience intact is another story that's totally up to the person, and he's going to have to live with
the choices he has made, right or wrong.
All in all, Night Falls on Manhattan is a finely directed movie by Sidney Lumet.
4/24:
My rating for Night Falls on Manhattan remains unchanged.
As usual, Sydney Lumet directs a solid police corruption picture with all-around good performances from an
ensemble cast, but this time, there are a couple of noticeable flaws. One, everything feels like it took place
in the span of one week. That being said, nobody looks any different given the fact that months have probably
passed. Two, the romance thing between Sean Casey and Peggy Lindstrom comes out of the blue, throwing the
film off its balance.
All in all, Night Falls on Manhattan makes for a solid viewing but doesn't say anything new.