Description

Drama. 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, and he must put his own life on the line in order to do right by both his family and his profession. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Excellent Character Sketches
This is an above average cop drama. In addition to the typical murder plot and good guy vs bad guy theme, the primary focus is on the intense and tumultuous relationships between a few finely developed characters.

The guilt, regret and heartache of DeNiro's character do not allow him or the film to be be humorous however a few scenes generate an unexpected laugh. This film is virtually all drama. The relationship of Deniro's character with that of McDormand's and Franco's, richly illustrate man's ability to confront all of the grief and anguish of his past. Robert DeNiro, Frances McDormand and James Franco are all excellent in their acting.

Because the relationships are so intense and the characters so richly developed, you can't help but to empathize with every one of them. The twists and turns in the plot make you wonder how much DeNiro's emotionally closed off character can handle before something changes. This movie makes you sit with the discomfort of each of its characters.

City By The Sea was filmed in the decayed ruins of the shore town and boardwalk of Asbury Park NJ. The Atlantic Ocean and the dilapidated remains of the boardwalk and vacant buildings provide an excellent urban yet coastal set for this story which takes place in the seaside NY town of Long Beach just outside NYC. There are also a few excellent and vivid images of the Twin Towers in this film which only add to the emotional experience by reigniting more feelings of anguish and loss. The Dolby Digital background sound effect of the ocean surf in a few scenes adds a sense of tranquility to this drama.

Although the movie includes the typical shooting and violence scenes, this cop drama is more about real relationships.

A Solid Story Behind This Film Noir
From the outset of this very interesting and touching little film we view the glory days of Long Beach, New York - a grand Atlantic City-type place with Americana spread all over it and old time music as played on a tacky old Victrola. This Eden fades into the deserted and dilapidated smarmy place that today is home for druggies and derelicts. We slowly discover that a kid whose father was a 'murderer' was saved by a cop and now plays that life role, only to have deserted his own boy through a tangled divorce. Both the father and the son and the grandson need to love, to belong, to find some degree of sense to the mutations of time. The general driver of the film is a reconciliation of boys and fathers despite all the real and imagined distance that can occur. The film is beautifully atmospheric but the true glory here is the cast: Robert DeNiro, James Franco, Frances Dormand, Patti Lupone, William Forsythe, and some new faces that really light up the story - all are consummate pros and really deliver top notch performances. Predictable, yes, but then there are so many many ways to examine father/son relationships and this is certainly one of the better ones.

Good acting, Very Good storyline.
This is a movie with a good handle on reality-- warts and all. It focusses on imperfect characters who feel completely real-- incuding DeNiro, whose acting, bad haircut, extra weight, and "average joe" clothing all successfully overcome our preconceived notion of DeNiro as a top-of-his-game mafiosa.
Instead, we see DeNiro, but AS THIS CHARACTER: a warts-and-all cop & bad father, looking for a second chance.

Also, DeNiro's star power doesn't overshadow this movie's second plotline, about a junkie (DeNiro's son), also looking for a second chance....and some kind of family life.

Likewise, the physical setting and peripheral relationships all have a REAL feel. Viewers will come away with the feeling that this is the seamy, redeemable side of real life.. a place you wouldn't want to live, but a state you can recover from.

*spoilers ahead. Stop reading now, if you hate spoilers.*
We get a happy ending, but not a Hollywood unbelievable ending. Some of the relationships STAY fractured, and other elements of the resolution also have that real, imperfect, but therefore acceptably non-saccharine happy ending.

Good Role Model
City By The Sea is an excellent video for my collection of
DeNiro movies, keep up the excellent movie making.

The Sins of the Fathers . . .
"City by the Sea" begins as a typical cop drama - Vincent DeMarca (Robert DeNiro) is a good solid New Jersey cop with a history. His father was executed as a "baby-killer", and now Vincent's own son Joey (James Franco), whom he abandoned as a young boy, is a strung out junkie suspected of killing DeMarca's partner. The scenes are predictably dingy and muted, with Frances McDormand popping out of her apartment now and then as DeMarca's girlfriend. The first part of this movie honestly felt like the pilot for a new television drama - with calculated character introductions and back story. But then something marvelous happens: the quality of the acting kicks in to elevate the film beyond its script. James Franco is astonishingly convincing as a junkie who both loves and despises his father, and DeNiro fools us into believing he's just an ordinary guy until the moment when all the layers are stripped off. Frances McDormand does a competent job with what she is given (not much) while adding a needed texture to DeMarca's life.

This film is probably the quietest cop drama I've ever seen because it's not about crimes one can be arrested for. It probes the fragile relationship between fathers and sons, and the obligations each needs to face. The film never picks up the slow paces it sets up in the beginning, so those hoping for the high action of traditional cop dramas will be disappointed. Make no mistake: this is a three-star movie raised to four stars by the performances of DeNiro and Franco. Still, the pivotal scene is a powerful one. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

A GREAT LOVE STORY THAT WILL LIVE ON AND ON.
A very wholesome story that I can't stop watching. I bought two copies yesterday. One for me and one for my daughter. I fell madly in love with Mary and Lewis. Such a sweet love story-I loved the way Lewis allowed her to do the kissing and didn't demand to much of her. It was refreshing to see a man who respected a woman, who was close to his family. It's such a uplifting movie that anytime that I'm down I put it on. this is the first time I've ever watch anything over 3 times and I've lost count how many times I've watch this. I've rented UNTAMED HEART today and it's excellent but BED OF ROSES is way above it. I got on internet and have read all I could find about Christian and plan to watch all his work except the violent movies. I was just thrilled to see that he has become a christian and I for one will be praying for him.

Absolutely Wonderful - Can't Stop Watching It!!
Bed of Roses is the best movie I have seen in a long, long time. On a scale of 1-10, Christian Slater is a 30!!! This is just a great romantic movie, without the violence, sex and swearing that most movies have. I have watched it 4 times and plan to watch it again. Mary Stuart Masterson is also great. I would love to see both of them do another movie. They are great together - like Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The music was also great. I love the songs that are sung and would love to know where I can get the soundtrack. I can't rave enough about this movie. Thanks for the GREAT entertainment!!

~Beautiful~
This is one of my favorite movie of Christian Slater, very sweet, soft & gentle, romantic heart-warming film. Christian plays as a florist. His passion, honest, and true love rescues a cold-hearted business-oriented New Yorker lady Lisa (played by Mary Stuart Masterson). They fall in love together quite fast, but some imprefect childhood and psychological barriers separate them apart. Unlike the other great movie 'Untamed Heart', this one has a good happy ending. This is truely indeed a beautiful story.

Sweet Story of Love
Lisa is a workaholic basically feeding her [adult] drive with promotions and accolades from her boss. She eats and breathes her work trying to cover up her pain. But one night it breaks through and a young man, Slater, sees her. He is a man who I would love to meet. Very sensitive, he gives her flowers, hiding the fact he sent them. He is so child like and sweet, Lisa can't help but fall for him. The scenery is rich with flowers and plants and pretty buildings. Lisa holds a terrible secret, the film doesn't delve into it to much just playing out Lisa's boderline behavior. Slater works to keep the relationship real. The movie works because of the sweetness. The plot is not unusual, but Slater's character is a nice touch.

Lisa Nary

Enjoyed this one.
The film, while it has some minor shortcommings, overall was very likeable. Both Christian and Mary played the parts with genuine feeling. And Kate Seagull ( I think!) almost stole the show with her performance as the best friend. One thing I noticed on the dvd was that the theatrical trailer carried some scenes that were not in the film, and I am wondering how to find (if there is) this film with those deleted scenes. The film was a little short and those scenes may elaborate the story line. Also add to an entertaining film. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Disturbing Look at a Darker Side of Humanity
The film borders on melodramatic at times, but the characters are beautiful and their realness add immeasurably to the impact of this film. Danny Glover is brilliant as the caring, street-wise Vietnam vet who takes care of Matt Dillon's character, a young man burdened with untreated schizophrenia. Both are homeless, through no lack of trying, and both are plagued by illness and a few members of a dumb but dangerous gang leader, Little Leroy, played well by a thoroughly nasty and vulgar Ving Rhames, who terrorizes the men's homeless shelter at Fort Washington.

Matt Dillon (Matt) plays the most sincere, nice guy on the planet. He's not immune to the fact that he's handicapped by his mental illness, but can't overcome it until he meets Danny Glover (Jerry). Together, armed with a little money and so much spirit (not to mention unrivaled positive attitudes), they set out to slowly climb the "economic ladder" - as Jerry calls it - and meet some of the most extraordinary characters. Unneccesary forshadowing gives the movie a constant feeling of sorrow, doom, and hopelessness, while the characters involved maintain an every-hopefull attitude about the future.

Not a happy film, but so well done it's hard not to feel it was money and time well spent. You will be forever changed.

Don't miss this one
hopeful honest friendship survival These are all word I relate to the Saint of Fort Washington.

This film inspired me to actually do something about the problem of homelessness. Danny Glover and Matt Dillon star in this wonderfully honest movie that might change your views on homelessness. Dillon gives the best performance I've seen from him. The characters are all very believable. A bit like Of Mice and Men. There are some gently humorous scenes with Matthew, Dillon's character, and Jerry, Glover's character. There are other scenes that can seem foolish on the surface, but touching once you think about it. More films like this should be made. I recommend it to everyone

Moving Drama -- Worth seeing more than once
Hollywood has a way of glamorizing the worst of life's problems and wrapping everything up in happy endings by a film's end. Not so with SAINT. Having dedicated 10 years of my life volunteering with the homeless on the streets of New York City, I can relate firsthand to the characters depicted by Glover and Dillon. There is no question that this movie is realistic. The emotions behind the words, the feelings behind the actions, all of it speaks to the portion of humanity that all of us are guilty of neglecting as we hurry past them on the busy streets. Stop and look, listen and lend a hand. If you buy or rent one drama this year, make it THE SAINT OF FORT WASHINGTON. And hats off to Matt and Danny for portraying a searing vision of homelessness from the bottom of their hearts and souls.

A must see if you love Matt Dillon
This movie was incredibly sad but definitly a different part of Matt Dillon.I think he was excellent in this movie.I hated Ving Rhames after this movie. i give matt dillon two thumbs up!!

Pleasant film
Although sad, this is a harsh reality of every day life in a big city. Very much a tearjerker and i recommend it to every one i talk to movies about. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on a memoir by former undercover cop Joe Pistone (whose daring and unprecedented infiltration of the New York Mob scene earned him a place in the federal witness protection program), Donnie Brasco is like a de-romanticized, de-mythologized version of The Godfather. It offers an uncommonly detailed, privileged glimpse inside the world of organized crime from the perspective of the little guys at the bottom of Mafia hierarchy rather than from the kingpins at the top. Donnie Brasco is not only one of the great modern-day gangster movies to put in the company of The Godfather films and GoodFellas, but it is also one of the great undercover police movies--arguably surpassing Serpico and Prince of the City in richness of character, detail, and moral complexity. Donnie (Johnny Depp, a splendid actor) is practically adopted by Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a gregarious, low-level "made" man who grows to love his young protégé like a son. (Pacino really sinks into this guy's skin and polyester slacks, and creates his freshest, most fully realized character since his 1970s heyday.) As Donnie acclimates himself to Lefty's world, he distances himself from his wife (a terrific Anne Heche) and family for their own protection. Almost imperceptibly his sense of identity slips away from him. Questioning his own confused loyalties, unable to trust anybody else because he himself is an imposter, Donnie loses his way in a murky and treacherous no-man's land. The film is directed by Mike Newell, who also headed up Four Weddings and a Funeral and the gritty, true crime melodrama Dance with a Stranger. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (85)

Based on a true story....
Working undercover as a jewel dealer Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) earns the trust of Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino). Lefty vouches for Joe and brings him into his mob family. What was supposed to be a three-month assignment for Joe turns into several years. Joe begins to drift away from his own family and deep into the mob. He and Lefty form a strong bond and a father son relationship. When the investigation is coming to an end Joe realizes that his only way out of the mob is to betray his friend.

The film is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. It is a very nice transfer the only flaw I noticed was a hint of grain occasionally. A Dolby Digital 5.0 audio track is provided. The surround speakers are hardly used. When they are its mostly only for music. With a movie like this that is mostly dialogue its understandable. This special edition DVD has several extras. The highlights are a director's commentary, two featurettes, deleted scenes and trailers. The featurette titled "Donnie Brasco: Out of the Shadows" was excellent. It gives a lot of background on the film and contains several interviews with the cast and crew. The deleted scenes are nice to see but I can understand why they were cut from the film.

For those of you thinking this is just another mob movie, you are wrong. Instead of showing the top of the crime family tree like many other films this one shows the bottom. It shows soldiers that are scraping at the bottom of the barrel and are just trying to make ends meet. This is a film that stands on its own on many levels. It was perfectly cast with Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, Michael Madsen and Anne Heche. If you like mob movies or just fine acting this is one film you need to see.

A Mobster Masterpiece Worth Watching Over and Over Again
Based on a true story that is so amazing and shocking, "Donnie Brasco" is a fantastic film that hooks you from start to finish. With stars like Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen, and many more, this is a movie that should be seen by all.

FBI Joseph D. Pistone is an undercover agent who's goal is to get into the violent and unpredictable mob world. He goes the by name of Donnie Brasco. Soon he is discovered by Lefty Ruggiero, who sees potential in the kid, not aware of who Brasco really is. He brings him into the family and the world of the Mafia. It doesn't take long for Joseph to get so deep into the action that he starts to become one of them. This unforgettable picture shows us that sometimes you can become what you chase if you're in too long, and that in order to catch a monster you may become one yourself in the process.

I became addicted to this film in no time. It's one of my favorites that I have seen over and over again, and it hasn't gotten old yet. The acting and directing is all fantastic. Al Pacino really shines, as always, and Johnny Depp gives an Academy Award performance as the FBI agent. He actually spent time with the real Joseph Pistone to get his character down, as he did when he was working on "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Michael Madsen is also terrific and can once again send chills down our spines just as he did in "Reservoir Dogs."

This new special edition of the DVD is much, MUCH better than the original. First off, the sound and picture quality has really improved. Especially the picture; it looks a lot better than the first version that came out. There are also a lot of extras, including features such as director's commentary, and exclusive featurette, the original featurette, deleted scenes, trailers, and more. The featurettes are very interesting and makes the DVD that much more special. A very high quality special edition, if you ask me.

All in all, "Donnie Brasco" is an outstanding picture on all fronts. Filled with drama and suspense, this is a film that will take you deep into the world of the Mafia. The only question is how far would you go? And would you risk becoming one of them when it's all said and done? Excellent all the way!

More of the Same
There are so many great mafia/mobster movies out there. This aint one of them. Slow and preachy. Pacino plays a schmuck and Depp's character must have rocks in his head for going undercover. Kind of dull.

Finally we know what 'fuggedaboudit' means
Donnie Brasco is based on a true story but it is still gripping. Donnie Brasco is the alias of Joe Pistone, an undercover agent. He joins the mob as a help of Lefty played by Al Pacino. Pacino again plays a great mobster. This time as just a spoke, and sometimes not very smart.

But DB gets so involved that he does not know on which side he is, that is what loyalty does to him. Even his marriage is almost falling apart.

Depp and Pacino are of course brilliant as ever and this is another great maffia movie like Goodfellas are the Godfather.

Great Movie
Al Pacino learns what its like to be Fredo Corleone in this movie..being stepped on, stepped over, getting no respect, and finally getting killed by people he trusted...he plays a loser trying keep his head above water with great conviction. Johnny Depp holds his own on the screen and gives another great performance as well.. ... Read more