This is How Movies Should Be Made

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

THIS FILM NEVER RECEIVED THE CREDIT IT DESERVED. THE PLOT WAS GOOD AND THE ACTING WAS TERRIFIC. DON'T ALWATS BELIEVE IN EVER RATING YOU SEE. DEFINITELY WORTH THE WATCH. I WOULD RECOMMEND IT FOR A GOOD MOVIE TO WATCH.

I was majorly impressed with Allen Hughes of the Hughes brothers 'Broken City'. I've seen a lot of political crime dramas before, but none like this. This particular story dives into the deep dark corners of politics and the police force in New York City at the end of a big mayoral election. I'm calling it now. Brian Tucker's debut screenplay deserves at least an Oscar nomination for next year. This multi layered drama and its intense characters made this film shine above the rest in its genre.We focus on the trail end of a mayoral election campaign between the incumbent Mayor Hostetler (Russel Crowe) and the new young and rich opponent Jack Valliant (Barry Pepper), who both are trying to win the people of New York over housing and tax issues. However there are a lies, betrayals, murders, and other atrocious acts of violence and crime that riddle this complex story.We see the film through the eyes of Detective Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg), who was forced to quit the police force by Mayor Hostetler several years ago due to a crime scene gone wrong. Now present day during the tail end of the new mayoral race, Taggart has opened a Private Investigative practice and works with his assistant Katy (Alona Tal). Business is very good for Taggart, though his clients haven't been paying him on time, and he is owed over $40k in completed work, or else he might have to shut down his practice. Much to his fortune, Mayor Hostetler calls Taggart and hires him to take pictures of his wife Cathleen (Catherine Zeta- Jones) and find out who she is having an affair with. Taggart accepts the job in that the Mayor has just given him more than what he is owed from all of his clients.From here on out, we are led into a dark territory that seems to fall under the noir category as we find clue after clue that adds another twist to the story and we find out it wasn't just an affair the mayor's wife was having. I've never seen a film where every character hates one another. Sure, Taggart and his assistant work well together, but there is not a scene that goes by with them together where she doesn't call him an "asshole." And we don't only get the relationships between politicians here, but each character has a family too, which all seem to have a high level of hatred and violence for one another.The script is very well done, with quick, smart dialogue that is fresh and new. Plus we get a glimpse of each characters strengths and weaknesses, which showcase just how well each character was thought out. Wahlberg did an amazing job, which I think might be his best work since 'Boogie Nights'. He shows what a tortured soul he is and how he wants to do good, even if it's his downfall. Truly remarkable. And Crowe's performance is perfectly played out as a charming and witty politician with a very sinister undertone. Plus his New York accent is very good and believable. Zeta-Jones' character probably has the most depth and mystery surrounding her. She plays it perfectly, never knowing what side she is on. Unfortunately, she receives little screen time, but when she's on, she's golden.If you're looking for an action crime movie, this probably isn't it, although it has a few very rough scenes with violence and a small car chase, but this film mostly relies on smart dialogue, two-faced characters, and surprises at every turn to keep you on the edge of your seat, which it does from start to finish. Usually, the films that are released in January are sub-par, but 'Broken City' breaks that tradition. Highly recommended.

This was an average sort of political thriller despite the more than decent cast attached. A very tan (Russell Crowe) plays the mayor of NYC, he hires a disgraced former cop (Mark Wahlberg), now working as a private eye to expose his wife's (Catherine Zeta-Jones) infidelities. Along the way 'Billy' unravels a mystery that could bring about the end of more than just a marriage.Ultimately this was just entertaining. Russell Crowe gives a good performance as does Zeta-Jones as his cold wife. I also enjoyed Barry Pepper. Mark Wahlberg is sorta average, we've seen this role from him before and nothing stands out.The plot does become a bit muddled at times and the pacing felt off. There are random sex scenes and car chases thrown in and several (unsurprising) plot twists towards the end. Its not terrible but nothing remarkable happens either. 4/19/15

Honestly, I have never seen a film starring Mark Wahlberg where I could say he was bad. As always, he performs excellently, as do all the rest of the cast. However, the storyline of the film isn't great and it can be hard to comprehend at times throughout. The reason for this is because it can be a bit jumpy going from one thing to another and not really making an awful lot of sense to the audience as well. There were no moments in the film that had me on the edge of my seat or shouting at the TV, which instantly tell me it was in no way thrilling or exciting. The only reason this film is watchable is because of the fine performances of the cast members and that is why it deserves a six, due to their hard work!