Suspicion is the concept du jour in this cloak and dagger drama that managed to attract the ilk of Mark Wahlberg, Russel Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones. New York cop Billy Taggart (Wahlberg) is caught in a sticky situation and finds himself in the favour of Mayor Hostetler (Crowe), but out of a job. Finding himself 7 years down the track as a Private Investigator, his old city hall connections draw him deep into a political sting in the midst of election week.
The plot thickens to the point where I believe many might echo Marky Mark’s sentiment in this film “does anyone talk in full f%&$n sentences anymore?”, as inklings of political intrigue give way to mumbo jumbo and a relatively predictable run-of-things. Still the action sequences, romantic side-plot and a few unexpected twists make this one a little different from the rest. Catherine Zeta-Jones is perfect as the Mayor’s stoic wife – kudos to Betsy Heimann for costuming – and Alona Tal is deeply enjoyable as Wahlberg’s right hand woman.
It can be easy to lose films like this in amongst every other rogue-cop-fighting-establishment-drama, and so many of them try to make themselves distinguishable through sex appeal or faster pace, and apparently more and more blood, but where Broken City stands apart is in its sophistication. Fantastic and inventive cinematography gives a more gripping look at characters versus wasting time on stereotypical sweeping Manhattan views, and no character sits two-dimensionally in this film, which makes its somewhat confusing story worth watching.
For a candid, clipped and clever drama with a near-perfect balance of action, passion and intellect, be sure to see Broken City.
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