City By The Sea [2003]

There's a nagging inevitability to Ken Hixon's otherwise intelligent screenplay, but De Niro and Frances McDormand--as LaMarca's compassionate neighbour and part-time girlfriend--turn this simmering drama into something deeper than it is. McDormand's role would be thin without the depth and humanity she brings to it and both De Niro and Franco mine gold from their troubling father-son legacy. Based on a true story, City by the Sea has that kernel of authenticity on which good actors thrive. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Description
New York City homicide detective Vincent LaMarca (Robert De Niro) has forged a long and distinguished career in law enforcement, making a name for himself as a man intensely committed to his work. But on his latest case, the stakes are higher for Vincent – the suspect he’s investigating is his own son, Joey (James Franco). Vincent and Joey have been painfully estranged ever since Vincent divorced Joey’s mother and left the decaying boardwalks of Long Beach, Long Island for the anonymity of Manhattan and a successful career with the NYPD. He lives his life in solitude, keeping even his girlfriend (Frances McDormand) at arm’s length. The closest relationship he maintains is with his partner, Reg (George Dzundza) – and Vincent makes sure that stops at the precinct door. As long as Vincent lives in the protection of the present, he doesn’t have to deal with the pain of his past. The murder investigation draws Vincent home to Long Beach, the self-proclaimed City by the Sea, where the past has been waiting for him to return. In the course of his investigation, Vincent discovers that his own unresolved pain and failures as a father have deeply influenced Joey’s life and the destructive choices he has made. As a cop, Vincent must bring a criminal to justice: as a father, he must find a way to save his son. Now he will put his life on the line in order to do right by both his family and his profession.

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