Broken City

Broken City, the latest offering from Albert Hughes is an unmitigated, muddled mess of a film. He tried to deliver a political thriller something akin to All The President's Men and he failed on just about every level. Because of that, Broken City gets half a bucket of Killer Korn.




To say I was reluctant to see Broken City is an understatement. The reasons have to deal with two people in particular and they are the director Albert Hughes and Mark Wahlberg. Why those two? Simple, first off Albert Hughes was one half of the team that brought you the wretched Mad Max wannabe film The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington. When that movie ended I seriously wanted my money back. It took everything I had not to hunt down the manager and demand a damn refund. The second reason has to do with someone who clearly has no acting talent to speak of. Mark Wahlberg would have a hard time acting as a mime if he stood still. In this movie, like all of his others he blesses you with two facial expressions, complete bewilderment or absolute anger, there is little to nothing in between those two emotions. The sad part about that is his character is a great role and were it in the hands of someone with some kind of screen charm, it would have been a far better movie.

(Marky) Mark Wahlberg was surround with a stellar cast, and I mean STELLAR. Russell Crowe plays the Mayor of New York as Nicholas Hostetler, Catherin Zeta-Jones plays his wife Cathleen, the amazingly talented Jeffery Wright plays Police Chief Carl Fairbanks, Barry Pepper plays Senator Jack Valliant who is running against Hostetler is a heating campaign for Hosteteler's seat. Rounding out the amazing cast is the extremely talented Michael Beach, Kyle Chandler, and the lovely Natalie Martinez, and Alona Tal. This cast is chock full of truly talented people who do their best to make this film just watchable, let alone understandable. Their efforts were in complete vain. This film made no sense from top to bottom.

Mark's character, Billy Taggart was once a cop but was involved in a shooting. He was cleared but the people wanted some justice so he was fired from the force, which rarely happens but whatever. Someone came forward with evidence that would send Taggart to jail but the Mayor himself intervenes and sits on the evidence, which again while I'm sure has happened before, rarely does. Seven years later Billy is now a private investigator which still allows him to utilizes his skills as a detective but he's a horrible debt collector so the pennies are tight. One day he gets summoned by Nicky the Mayor to find out with whom his wife is sleeping with for the lovely sum of fifty thousand dollars, twenty five up front and the rest on delivery of proof. Billy jumps at the money with no second guess, which as a cop you would think he would wonder why the Mayor would want him for this assignment, but nope. He takes the money, follows the Mayors wife, takes his pictures and turns them in even after Cathleen asks him not to.

The entire movie revolves around a 4 Billion dollar land grab for a housing project. The movie is a real estate land grab political thriller and those NEVER work. This talented cast has a hard time holding this horrible film together. There are unresolved story lines a plenty, unresolved matters of the heart, and questions regarding some characters interactions with each other. It's almost impossible for me to wonder how someone could have read this script and not voiced some concerns, unless the most important key elements of the story are on the editing room floor somewhere. The one thing I will say about Broken City is it has a great score. Oscar award winner Atticus Ross, along with Claudia Sarne, and Leopold Ross have together crafted a dark and tense score that's pretty much wasted on this film. The music however does have the ability to stand on it's own, which is a testament to how good it really is. I wish I could say the same about this movie, but I can't. Unless you are a diehard Mark Wahlberg fan (which I really don't understand) then you will enjoy Broken City. If you aren't, then I suggest you do not waste your time or your money. Skip this, see something else and I'll see you at the theater.