Ex-Detective Mark Wahlberg has an admirer, someone no less than the Mayor of New York Russell Crowe. Wahlberg was indicted and the charges dismissed for lack of evidence that he killed Luis Tolentino, a rapist who skipped on a technicality. It may have been justice, but it was hardly legal and it cost Wahlberg his badge.
Seven years later Wahlberg is now scratching out a living as a private detective doing the kind of work that Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe did in between the novels that Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler wrote about them. Wahlberg even has an Effie like secretary in Alona Tal. Who should call but the mayor himself who wants him for a disagreeable job. He suspects his wife of infidelity and it's now election time and he has a tough race against Councilman Barry Pepper. Crowe wants to know exactly the who and where and when of his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones's rendezvous. This apparently is what Wahlberg is specializing in now.
He finds whom she's meeting with and its Kyle Chandler the campaign manager for Pepper. But believe me it's not all that it seems and soon there's murder and municipal corruption involved. And Wahlberg's own past comes back to haunt him.
Although this is a Wahlberg produced film as well, Crowe really dominates this film as one evil man who is running the Big Apple. He's the one you're thinking about throughout the film. He's your typical free enterprise capitalist who has no shame at all in ripping off the city and pocketing whatever he can. His campaign revolves around the fact that he's reduced the city deficit and turned it into a surplus. It's how he's done it that will revolt you if you have decent instincts. In fact it's revolted his wife which is why Zeta-Jones is behaving as she does.
I would also like to single out Alona Tal who must have watched The Maltese Falcon and took her cues from what Lee Patrick did as Humphrey Bogart's secretary. Both those women liked their bosses and you hope the two would realize that.
Broken City is a good action story and Wahlberg producer gave Wahlberg actor a great vehicle. I think Mark's fans will enjoy this and others will as well.
Seven years later Wahlberg is now scratching out a living as a private detective doing the kind of work that Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe did in between the novels that Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler wrote about them. Wahlberg even has an Effie like secretary in Alona Tal. Who should call but the mayor himself who wants him for a disagreeable job. He suspects his wife of infidelity and it's now election time and he has a tough race against Councilman Barry Pepper. Crowe wants to know exactly the who and where and when of his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones's rendezvous. This apparently is what Wahlberg is specializing in now.
He finds whom she's meeting with and its Kyle Chandler the campaign manager for Pepper. But believe me it's not all that it seems and soon there's murder and municipal corruption involved. And Wahlberg's own past comes back to haunt him.
Although this is a Wahlberg produced film as well, Crowe really dominates this film as one evil man who is running the Big Apple. He's the one you're thinking about throughout the film. He's your typical free enterprise capitalist who has no shame at all in ripping off the city and pocketing whatever he can. His campaign revolves around the fact that he's reduced the city deficit and turned it into a surplus. It's how he's done it that will revolt you if you have decent instincts. In fact it's revolted his wife which is why Zeta-Jones is behaving as she does.
I would also like to single out Alona Tal who must have watched The Maltese Falcon and took her cues from what Lee Patrick did as Humphrey Bogart's secretary. Both those women liked their bosses and you hope the two would realize that.
Broken City is a good action story and Wahlberg producer gave Wahlberg actor a great vehicle. I think Mark's fans will enjoy this and others will as well.