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Movie drowns in mediocrity
 Media Credit: Philip V. Caruso/Warner Bros Robert DeNiro stars in Franchise Pictures’ drama “City by the Sea,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
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It may be that I’m getting lazy (or that I spend too much time away from the television) but “City by the Sea” crept under my movie-news radar. The first time I heard of it was two days ago when I caught a brief advertisement. In about fifteen seconds it told me only that critics are calling it “Astonishing” and “Powerful” and that Robert De Nero and Francis McDormand star in it. Neither of these things outright prompted me to see this film. However, the fact that I didn’t know anything at all about it presented an excellent opportunity: to learn the plot of a film from the film itself, not from the trailer. This is an overlooked gift that I treasure more and more each year. So in keeping that spirit, I’m going to be very brief concerning the details of “City by the Sea” in this review.
I recommend to anyone who finds himself or herself in the same situation to stop reading this immediately and go see this particular film right away. For those of you who are less adventurous, read on, but at least think about the last time you went to a movie with absolutely no foreknowledge of the film at all.
“City by the Sea” is a drama about the responsibilities a father has for his son, and how unconditional that bond is no matter how damaged it may become through life.
To portray this theme effectively, “City by the Sea” calls upon some very talented actors. Most notably, Francis McDormand steals the attention away from the crux of the film with a very life-like portrayal of a middle-aged woman weighing the benefits of a serious relationship against the comforts of her single life. This secondary theme couples well with the dominant father/son plotline, acted very strongly by Robert De Niro and James Franco.
This powerful theme builds to some intense moments, but many times is spoiled by melodrama or clich� scenes. There are other times where it seems like Director Michael Caton-Jones is rushing through the plot or overemphasizing obvious displays of symbolism and metaphor.
When a movie deals with this kind of real-life subject matter, it’s better to leave those obviously traces of Hollywood movie making out, or at least fade them into the background.
“City by the Sea” is a powerful and meaningful story, acted well and, to some extent, shot well. My only burning complaint is in the way that this gritty portrait of “real life” very quickly got out of hand and became real-life’s Hollywood cousin. I’d recommend for a look at an important social issue, and also as a blind date (if that still applies to you).
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