Broken City Review

Rated R (Pervasive Language, Some Sexual Content and Violence)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 49 Minutes

Cast-

Mark Wahlberg-Billy Taggart

Russell Crowe-Mayor Nicholas Hostetler

Catherine Zeta-Jones-Cathleen Hostetler

Barry Pepper-Jack Valliant

Kyle Chandler-Paul Andrews

Jeffrey Wright-NYPD Commissioner Carl Fairbanks

Natalie Martinez-Natalie Barrow

Alona Tal-Katy Bradshaw

James Ransone-Todd Lancaster

Griffin Dunne-Sam Lancaster

Michael Beach-Tony Jansen

Directed by Allen Hughes

Mark Wahlberg can see your house from here!

Note: Screened on Tuesday, January 15, 2013, at AMC Empire 25.

Politics…it's a dirty business. As children, I'm sure we all daydreamed of becoming President of the United States but to be honest, not many people are cut out for such a job. Take me, for instance. Not only am I a terrible speaker, I'm simply not shrewd or cunning enough to handle all the backroom deal-making that defines American politics. That last point is especially important because it's so easy for politicians to take the money and screw the people. Just look at all the political scandals that have taken place in the last ten years. Corruption, that's the name of the game in "Broken City," a gritty crime thriller with Sidney Lumet-aspirations from Allen Hughes, making his first solo directing effort since his debut alongside his twin brother Albert with 1993's "Menace II Society." Looking at the film's cast, you not only have an Academy Award nominee but two Academy Award winners yet the release date raises a serious red flag. In his own review, James Berardinelli speaks of an old multiplex proverb that warns audiences to 'beware ye movies opening in January that star A-list actors.' This proves to be true as "Broken City" is ultimately a sloppily written mess and an utterly forgettable, generic affair despite boasting an impressive all-star cast. 

An illicit shooting of an alleged rapist leads to NYPD detective Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) being charged with murder but thanks to the timely intervention of Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Russell Crowe), Taggart manages to avoid jail time. However, his lack of discretion results in him being thrown off the force by Police Chief Carl Fairbanks (Jeffrey Wright). Seven years later, Taggart is barely scraping by as a lowly private investigator, hiding in alleyways in order to catch adulterous men with their pants down. With Election Day fast approaching, Mayor Hostetler hires Taggart for $50,000 to follow his wife Cathleen (Catherine Zeta-Jones), whom he suspects of having an affair behind his back. Aided by his plucky assistant Katy Bradshaw (Alona Tal), Taggart's sleuthing leads him to a house in Montauk, Long Island, where he photographs Cathleen having a private rendezvous with Paul Andrews (Kyle Chandler), who just happens to be the campaign manager for Jack Valliant (Barry Pepper), Hostetler's liberal-minded rival in the mayoral election. Taggart gives the photos to Hostetler but when Andrews turns up dead a few days later, he finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy involving a shady $4-billion land development deal. 

"Broken City" is one of those films where the trailer already spells out the entire story. There is literally nothing original here but that wouldn't be such a problem if the script or characters were at least compelling. It's certainly ambitious, with the first forty minutes moving all the pieces into place like a chess game and promising a dramatic reveal at the end. Sadly, that is not the case as the scatter-brained narrative introduces a bevy of subplots that ultimately goes nowhere. Hughes spends a significant amount of time focusing on Taggart's relationship with his girlfriend Natalie Barrow (Natalie Martinez) but it's immediately forgotten the instant Paul Andrews turns up dead. Character revelations are dropped onto the audience (Jack Valliant may or may not be a closeted homosexual) with little or no context but the worst offense is that everything is so obviously telegraphed in advance. The 'incriminating evidence' that Hostetler has on Taggart and the land development deal used to solve New York's debt problems all figure into the film's ending yet it offers no payoff or even makes a lick of sense. Hughes and his writer Brian Tucker want to show the moral decay that grips urban America and how the governing system is just as 'broken' as the people inhabiting it but not only does it lack subtlety, it's never fully realized within the undercooked and nonsensical story. 

One scene did stand out however and it's the one where Hostetler and Valliant are engaging in a televised debate. It's the only point where the film becomes halfway decent because it illustrates the ugly mud-slinging that now dominates American politics. As the protagonist, Billy Taggart doesn't come across as very sympathetic. His girlfriend is about to star in her first indie film but instead of supporting her, Taggart complains about 'metrosexuals' and flies into rage upon seeing her in a graphic sex scene during the film's premiere. Is Hughes trying to say something about the way independent films are made? Like everything else in "Broken City," who knows? The homophobia in the film represents a disturbing trend, especially when "A Haunted House" faced similar complaints. A car chase and a fight scene are included to try and break up the monotony but you're unable to appreciate them because you're stuck connecting all the dots in this plot-hole ridden mess. It's almost as if someone was drunk while editing the film. 

Mark Wahlberg plays another tough guy, only with a more thuggish side. It's really puzzling how Taggart managed to even become a police officer, let alone a detective since all he's capable of doing is barging into people's homes and pummeling them until they talk. A very orange Russell Crowe hams it up as Mayor Nicholas Hostetler, complete with a distractingly fake 'Noo Yawk' accent and a horrible-looking toupee. Right from the first scene, it's immediately clear that this guy is a sleazeball yet it completely goes over Taggart's head. The rest of the supporting cast adds absolutely nothing to the story. Catherine Zeta-Jones sleepwalks through her role as the mayor's wife while Jeffrey Wright's character just reinforces the fact that the film is a mess as he flip-flops between hating Taggart to helping him. It's no mystery that Fairbanks knows more than he lets on yet instead of just outright telling Taggart the whole situation, he strings him, and by extension the audience, along. Only Alona Tal escapes unscathed as her character's feisty personality is the sole bright spot in the film. 

"Broken City" was released on January 18, 2013 to overwhelmingly negative reviews with 24% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found that the 'thinly sketched, formulaic script offers meager rewards for all but the least demanding noir aficionados.' The audience may have applauded during last Tuesday's advance screening but thankfully, people were smart enough to avoid this film as it's poised to only earn $11 million over the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. "Broken City" offers up hints of a better film underneath but its lazy writing, predictable plot, and cardboard characters turn this promising effort into a mess. A more appropriate title would be "Broken Movie."

Final Rating: 2 out of 5

"There are some wars you fight and some you walk away from. This isn't the fighting kind."