City by the Sea

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City by the Sea

R

2002

1h 48m

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

49%

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142 Reviews

40%

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10,000+ Ratings

When a respected New York homicide detective (Robert De Niro) discovers the prime suspect in a murder case is his estranged son (James Franco), he is forced to return home to the decaying boardwalks of Long Beach, Long Island to confront the darkness of his past. During the course of the investigation, he realizes that his failures as a father - and his unresolved anguish about the painful estrangement - have deeply influenced his son's life.

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Critics Consensus

Even though the movie is well acted, it sinks under an abundance of melodrama and cliches.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/22/2010

3/5

Ambitious, improbable and very violent cop drama.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

06/19/2003

2.5/4

It doesn't help that much of City by the Sea plays so precisely lock step in the same order as so many other policiers. It's difficult to muster up much excitement as the film lurches to its pre-ordained conclusion.

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Nev Pierce

BBC.com

10/07/2002

4/5

Sombre, unpretentious and quietly moving.

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Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

11/15/2019

It all adds up to a moving film that may not be unforgettable, but it is memorable nonetheless.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

01/04/2013

C

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

04/29/2009

It's a shame that the source material and filmmakers manage to waste all the talented actors in this project.

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Todd P

@Toddballz Feb 8

DeNiro's worst film, in my opinion. A very boring movie.

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AD 3

@RT11830953 12/11/2024

I like Deniro but the rest of the movie is sort of corny and not executed well. It has big ideas but just isnt realistic, especislly the dialouge. Everybody harps on the father for running out on his family or whatever but then you consider this culture and it's hardly unique. Again, I get it but it just wasn't executed well nor were any hardcore details realistic. I kinda felt like the filmmaker was in over his head

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Tony M

@RT39492260 08/31/2023

I really like this lesser known DeNiro flick. I like the story and the acting. A good movie that's well worth a watch.

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Jeffrey P

@vanillavoodoo1 06/26/2023

Not quite sure why this was so buried that I didn't hear about it until 2023. Main fault that comes to mind is that the son should have been the lead and not the father. Regardless, I felt it was a solid enough story with decent acting that mostly rings true before the dramatic flare ending.

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Ashley H

@ashleyhobgood87 06/04/2023

City By The Sea is a disappointing film. It is about a respected New York homicide detective who discovers the prime suspect in a murder case is his estranged son. Robert de Niro and James Franco give horrible performances. The script is badly written. Michael Caton-Jones did a terrible directing this movie. I was not impressed with this motion picture.

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Jelisije J

@jjosifovic 05/12/2023

A movie that deals with the trial of fatherhood and abandonment.

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Michael Caton-Jones

Director

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Detective Vincent Lamarca

Frances McDormand

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James Franco

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Synopsis

When a respected New York homicide detective (Robert De Niro) discovers the prime suspect in a murder case is his estranged son (James Franco), he is forced to return home to the decaying boardwalks of Long Beach, Long Island to confront the darkness of his past. During the course of the investigation, he realizes that his failures as a father - and his unresolved anguish about the painful estrangement - have deeply influenced his son's life.

Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Producer: Michael Caton-Jones, Brad Grey, Elie Samaha, Matthew Baer
Screenwriter: Ken Hixon, Michael Caton-Jones
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Franchise Pictures, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, Sea Breeze Productions Inc.
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Some Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 6, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.4M
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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