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 turned 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, it turns out
he's five five tall. Regardless, Richard Dreyfuss does a good job of playing the defense attorney.
The plot is a 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 which is 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.