Reviews (19)

Another Fine Pacino Vehicle
This film was made and was in theaters after "HEAT", but before "Devil's Advocate" and I must say that I actually liked it more than "Donnie Brasco". Pacino's John Pappas, actually made me wish that there were such a politician in the big apple after the passionate and vigorous speech given at the funeral in Harlem. The fact that at the end we find out that he was not as "kosher" as we were led to believe in the beginning, along with Danny Aiello's corrupt Anselmo, makes a person lose their faith in the movie's public officials as we do in real life after we've put so much faith and trust in them and we have the good script to thank for that. As for the rest of the cast, John Cusack has never been better as Kevin, the rightous deputy mayor along with Aiello and Fonda (too bad only a hint of affection between her and Cusack). Overall, the underrated "City Hall" is entertaining and suspenseful and a great "Pacino movie". Favorite line: Kevin: "The only thing new in this world is the history that you don't know."

Good but I expected more
"City Hall" is one of those movies that I watched expecting the best. It had a great cast and crew of which I have seen excellent films from. But all I got in the end was a lukewarm film. The premise is great. Political corruption always makes for an interesting movie and it certainly is interesting. Sadly it suffers from its own plot. So much time is spent trying to uncover this scandal that occurs in this film that there is no time to get to know any of the characters. Al Pacino plays the mayor of New York and while he handles the role passionately the script does not allow his character anytime to develop as with Cusak, Fonda, Aiello. The cast is supurb. In fact I do not believe I have seen better from John Cusak who rarely gets a stab at complex films such as this and Bridget Fonda and Danny Aiello both give excellent supporting performances. The intereaction between Cusak and Fonda also seemed really fake as well not by the actors fault but the screenwriters. There is no chemestry where one would expect. It isn't all that bad of a film. Fans of the actors should definately rent it especially for a really good Pacino monologue (they had to throw that in somewhere). The film had the director and the cast but what it needed was a better script.

Al Pacino, John Cusack, and Danny Aiello are great!
This is one of the best crime-drama movies during the late 1990s. It was filled with a great cast, a huge storyline, and many of the players involved gave great performances. Pacino was great; he should have been nominated for something. John Cusack was good too, as long as the viewer doesn't mind his Louuu-siana accent. He may come off as annoying if you can't stand this dialect. The way that Pacino's character interacted with Cusack's character was believable, dramatic, and slightly comical at times. Danny Aiello was superb as always. David Paymer was great in a supporting role. Bridget Fonda was good but not memorable.
There were times when this picture mentioned so many characters, probably too many. It may take a second viewing to remember, "which Zapatti was which?" After so many cross-references, one has to stop and think just to recap.
The ending didn't have a lot of sting. It was built up for so long in a good way and then was a little bit of a letdown. This was one of the few letdowns in the film
I think that since the movie wasn't billed as a huge, blockbuster big screen hit, it made some forget that this movie even existed. Pacino was great but the film's lack of "splash" in the theaters may have accounted for no nominations. It was semi-successful in the home market, and viewers are still learing that this title is out there. Made in 1996, it still stands up seven years later and should still be popular for many years from now.

So, make yourself some lemon pudding (you'll see) and rent this movie! Overall, a great picture.
4 ½ out of 5!!!

A GOLDSMITH CLASSIC
Jerry Goldsmith's combines essences of George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein in this inspired soundtrack. The sites and sounds of New York seem to waft over the senses as the flowing strings and French horns play. Piano and percussion highlight gang conflict. Classic stuff!

Grab a bagel, sit back, relax and enjoy this one.

Practice Run
Composer Jerry Goldsmiith's score for the drama City Hall is a real letdown. It sounds a lot like the music he would use later for LA Confidential. Sure, there are a few subtle differences here and there, but for the most part, the scores are too similar for my tastes. I am not used to Goldsmith doing this all that much. Even the stuff of his that isn't quite as good, usaully has some originality to it. The music for City Hall must have been a warm up for the latter film I mentioned. Most of the City Hall soundtrack spends its limited running time just reworking the main title-this tactic is not uncommon in a majority of film music-to use a certain amount of repetition-it's just usually not done this much for a single film. Horns, piano, and the drum are pretty much it.

The CD has 12 tracks and a running time of 30:14. My recommendation would be be to skip this, and seek out the the 2 soundtrack albums for LA Confidential, instead. At least the score sounds a bit more developed and there's a bit more musical variety ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Another Fine Pacino Vehicle
This film was made and was in theaters after "HEAT", but before "Devil's Advocate" and I must say that I actually liked it more than "Donnie Brasco". Pacino's John Pappas, actually made me wish that there were such a politician in the big apple after the passionate and vigorous speech given at the funeral in Harlem. The fact that at the end we find out that he was not as "kosher" as we were led to believe in the beginning, along with Danny Aiello's corrupt Anselmo, makes a person lose their faith in the movie's public officials as we do in real life after we've put so much faith and trust in them and we have the good script to thank for that. As for the rest of the cast, John Cusack has never been better as Kevin, the rightous deputy mayor along with Aiello and Fonda (too bad only a hint of affection between her and Cusack). Overall, the underrated "City Hall" is entertaining and suspenseful and a great "Pacino movie". Favorite line: Kevin: "The only thing new in this world is the history that you don't know."

Good but I expected more
"City Hall" is one of those movies that I watched expecting the best. It had a great cast and crew of which I have seen excellent films from. But all I got in the end was a lukewarm film. The premise is great. Political corruption always makes for an interesting movie and it certainly is interesting. Sadly it suffers from its own plot. So much time is spent trying to uncover this scandal that occurs in this film that there is no time to get to know any of the characters. Al Pacino plays the mayor of New York and while he handles the role passionately the script does not allow his character anytime to develop as with Cusak, Fonda, Aiello. The cast is supurb. In fact I do not believe I have seen better from John Cusak who rarely gets a stab at complex films such as this and Bridget Fonda and Danny Aiello both give excellent supporting performances. The intereaction between Cusak and Fonda also seemed really fake as well not by the actors fault but the screenwriters. There is no chemestry where one would expect. It isn't all that bad of a film. Fans of the actors should definately rent it especially for a really good Pacino monologue (they had to throw that in somewhere). The film had the director and the cast but what it needed was a better script.

Al Pacino, John Cusack, and Danny Aiello are great!
This is one of the best crime-drama movies during the late 1990s. It was filled with a great cast, a huge storyline, and many of the players involved gave great performances. Pacino was great; he should have been nominated for something. John Cusack was good too, as long as the viewer doesn't mind his Louuu-siana accent. He may come off as annoying if you can't stand this dialect. The way that Pacino's character interacted with Cusack's character was believable, dramatic, and slightly comical at times. Danny Aiello was superb as always. David Paymer was great in a supporting role. Bridget Fonda was good but not memorable.
There were times when this picture mentioned so many characters, probably too many. It may take a second viewing to remember, "which Zapatti was which?" After so many cross-references, one has to stop and think just to recap.
The ending didn't have a lot of sting. It was built up for so long in a good way and then was a little bit of a letdown. This was one of the few letdowns in the film
I think that since the movie wasn't billed as a huge, blockbuster big screen hit, it made some forget that this movie even existed. Pacino was great but the film's lack of "splash" in the theaters may have accounted for no nominations. It was semi-successful in the home market, and viewers are still learing that this title is out there. Made in 1996, it still stands up seven years later and should still be popular for many years from now.

So, make yourself some lemon pudding (you'll see) and rent this movie! Overall, a great picture.
4 ½ out of 5!!!

A GOLDSMITH CLASSIC
Jerry Goldsmith's combines essences of George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein in this inspired soundtrack. The sites and sounds of New York seem to waft over the senses as the flowing strings and French horns play. Piano and percussion highlight gang conflict. Classic stuff!

Grab a bagel, sit back, relax and enjoy this one.

Practice Run
Composer Jerry Goldsmiith's score for the drama City Hall is a real letdown. It sounds a lot like the music he would use later for LA Confidential. Sure, there are a few subtle differences here and there, but for the most part, the scores are too similar for my tastes. I am not used to Goldsmith doing this all that much. Even the stuff of his that isn't quite as good, usaully has some originality to it. The music for City Hall must have been a warm up for the latter film I mentioned. Most of the City Hall soundtrack spends its limited running time just reworking the main title-this tactic is not uncommon in a majority of film music-to use a certain amount of repetition-it's just usually not done this much for a single film. Horns, piano, and the drum are pretty much it.

The CD has 12 tracks and a running time of 30:14. My recommendation would be be to skip this, and seek out the the 2 soundtrack albums for LA Confidential, instead. At least the score sounds a bit more developed and there's a bit more musical variety ... Read more

Reviews (73)

John Travolta's best role since "The General's Daughter"!
Now, THIS is a John Travolta movie! Especially when this movie is called "Domestic Disturbance", a movie that is packed with so much action and suspense that it never, never, never lets up from one minute to the next! This is director Harold Becker's ("Mercury Rising", "Malice") best film since he directed Bruce Willis in 1998's "Mercury Rising"! The rest of the supporting cast, including Vince Vaughn ("The Lost World: Jurassic Park"), Teri Polo ("Meet the Parents"), Steve Buscemi ("Armageddon"), and newcomer Matt O'Leary were all incredible alongside Travolta. But, to me, this is really John Travolta's movie as he stands out above the crowd as Frank Morrison, a successful boat builder and divorced, but loving father to his son Danny (O'Leary). Frank's ex-wife Susan (Polo) is now married to a new resident named Rick Barnes (Vaughn), also Danny's stepfather, whom everyone thinks of as the perfect gentleman and such, but Rick is not so perfect to Danny when he witnesses Rick killing a person and burning his body inside a factory one night. And quite frankly, the only person who will believe Danny is none other than his father, whom Danny has never lied to before. Rick knows that Danny told his father that night and starts making threats to him about it...but Frank will be damned if Rick thinks that he's going to lay a hand on his son! So, Frank goes out to find out the truth about Rick and bring the truth to light, etc. With lots of suspense from start to finish, leading up to a earth-shattering climax between father (Frank) and stepfather (Rick), you'll agree that "Domestic Disturbance" is one of the best John Travolta films ever made since "Swordfish" and "The General's Daughter"! A DVD must-have for any Travolta fan or any Travolta collection!

Nice in places where it should be naughty.
Stereotypical characters, convoluted logic, and an abundant absence of intelligence abide in "Domestic Disturbance," a thriller that wants to be naughty, but ends up playing nice. What begins as a somewhat interesting film tailspins into an unending chasm of unbelievable plot twists and aggravating characters who make all the wrong choices. Here is a movie that covers familiar ground, yet it fails to spark much interest once things go awry.

John Travolta stars as Frank Morrison, a boat builder whose ex-wife Susan (Teri Polo) is on the brink of remarrying. This, of course, is unacceptable to their 12-year-old son, Danny (Matthew O'Leary), whose outbursts against his parents' divorce have led to being picked up from the police station on numerous occasions. Like any good father, Frank advises Danny to accept that which he cannot change, and to give his new stepfather, the wealthy and popular Rick Barnes (Vince Vaughn), a warm welcome.

Now anyone who knows their thrillers can guess that if there is money involved, then there's usually a tainted past here and there; this film is no exception. The wedding goes off without a hitch, despite the presence of Ray Coleman (Steve Buscemi), a former acquaintance of Rick's who is set on collecting a large sum of money from his old pal. One thing leads to another, contrivances appear, and Rick has a murder on his hands, unaware that Danny witnessed the deed from the backseat of the car in which it occurred.

This is the first in a series of several scenes that look promising, but hold little intensity or surprise. Judging from Danny's "Boy Who Cried Wolf" syndrome, it is easy to foresee that no one will believe him when he reveals what he saw, save for Frank, who must hold a grudge against his son's aggressor if there is to be any action or energy in the story. There's a little bit of cat-and-mouse going on, as Frank searches for the missing Ray and possible clues to take to the police, but it goes virtually nowhere.

The movie seems more interested in showing us just how stupid people can be in such situations, however unbelievable they may be. From the start, Susan stands by her man, defending him against Danny's accusations. Does it ever occur to her that when a strange event happens, Rick was out of the house at that same time? Does she ever stop to think about how her disbelief in her son's statements is affecting him, rather than the old song-and-dance about her marriage to Rick? Even the police are completely clueless, ignoring everything until the end when it hardly matters.

My big complaint with "Domestic Disturbance" is its editor, who has chopped the movie down to a mere 88 minutes, too short for a thriller and too long for a documentary on vengeful stepfathers. Paramount's advertising campaign for the film hit us with a slew of pre-release television commercials, as well as a lengthy and revealing theatrical trailer. There are scenes in both of these, one of which involves a car chase, the other involving a discussion between Rick and Frank in which Rick tries to buy him off. These and others glimpses are not even included in the final cut, and perhaps may have been more interesting than what we see here.

The climax is standard fodder, but it has the ability to generate more intensity than the rest of the film altogether. Travolta turns in a good performance, convincing us of his status as a loving father; Vaughn fails to generate a sense of menace, while Polo does little else except look completely clueless. For all its attributes (which are few), "Domestic Disturbance" adds nothing new to a worn out genre; its lack of lucid plot could be overlooked if not for its failure to generate any level of suspense. '

Note: The film was shot on the eastern coast of North Carolina, in Southport, yet in one scene, Ray mentions his locating Rick was from a childhood memory of Rick's about a family vacation in Maryland. Your thoughts, Mr. McNally?

FATHER KNOWS BEST
DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE is a by the book, easy to predict potboiler, but one directed with sharp verve by Harold Becker and given a boost by the performance of Matthew O'Leary as young Danny. O'Leary went on to show his incredible range in FRAILTY, but in this movie, he brings his doe-eyed innocence and fervent fear to form the core of the movie. John Travolta does well as Danny's father, although he sometimes seems overburdened with trying not to act like Pulp Fiction; Vince Vaughn is appropriately menacing as the wicked new stepfather, but we never really understand his motivation for marrying Polo in the first place. Steve Buscemi shows up in his usual seedy bad guy role, but doesn't get much of a chance to do anything with it.
This is an entertaining movie, and works because it attacks our primal fear of something happening to our kids. It's to O'Leary's credit that it works so well.

A better movie then you think its going to be
Yeah, I'll admit that I watched this disc with very little in the way of hope or expectations but an hour and a half later I was pleasantly surprised at this little thriller. While this film's foundation is comprised of typical 'B-movie' elements the film certainly over-achieves by way of Harold Becker's taut direction and Travolta and Vince Vaughn's excellent performances making this a better thriller then it deserved to be.

As far as overall disc production goes, the video transfer is average at best while the 5.1 Dolby is slightly better. Extras are skimpy as well with a commentary track by Becker, a handful of deleted scenes and a few storyboard examples. Is the disc ultimately worth your purchase? Probably not - but certainly worth your rental dollar should you find yourself craving a well done b-movie thriller.

One of the best movies of its type to come along in years
I really like this movie. Granted, it's a little predictable, and in places maybe Travolta seems a little flat. It has a few other flaws as well. But there are a lot of reasons to like a movie and sometimes you have to make allowences.
What works about it? Matthew O'Leary and Vince Vaughn; the helpless kid & the bad guy. As the movie progresses, the kid gets more and more loveable and the evil dude becomes ever more despicable. Everything you need for this type of movie to be successful; a couple of very good actors in the right roles, convincingly earning, in this case, our sympathy or our bile. Even if the movie holds up in no other way for you, these two actors are sure to do their part. Settings, production, background, or script aside, these two deliver.
Predictable? Somewhat, sure. How many movies aren't? As for Trovolta perhaps being a little off, hey, the man is very busy. Besides, he was supposed to be low-key in this role, the emphasis of the movie being his son's plight. I think ultimately he served that role very well.
So despite its flaws, this movie still works, and I think quite well. If you haven't seen it you should consider doing so. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

See It Once For The Story, And Again For The Acting
MALICE is one of those movies that you simply MUST see more than once to believe. The first time through, MALICE is a great psychological thriller, with twists and turns through a plot that contains rape, murder, life-and-death trauma, and a fight to the death...all within the first 45 minutes. The second time through, though, provides a look at all the things you might have missed the first time around...and a chance to savor an outstanding performance from perhaps the most underrated actor in Hollywood, Alec Baldwin.

Bill Pullman plays Andy Safian, an associate dean at a small New England college outside of Boston that's currently under siege by a serial rapist who claims his latest victim as the film opens. Nicole Kidman plays his wife Tracy, a volunteer in the pediatrics ward of St. Agnes Hospital. They're renovating a Victorian house and need $14,000 for the plumbing. Enter Alec Baldwin as Dr. Jed Hill, a former high school classmate of Andy's, who's brand new in town and needs a place to stay. Andy needs the money, Jed needs a room, so the two hook up and soon Jed is sleeping upstairs in the Safiens' home...usually not alone, and his sexual escapades are grating on Tracy's nerves. The rapes continue, Andy is fingered as a suspect, and in the midst of it all, Tracy collapses with a ruptured ovarian cyst. Jed operates to save her life (after a night of drinking and wild partying), but renders her unable to bear children...leading to a malpractice suit from Tracy and an incredible soliloquy on surgeons with a God complex from Jed during the deposition.

But once the first half of the film is over, things really start to roll. Without revealing the rest of the plot, suffice it to say that as Andy, Tracy, and Jed all try to start their lives over again, their fates become inextricably entangled.

The movie is worth seeing once as a thriller. But the second time around, Baldwin's mesmerizing performance is what stands out. Jed is charismatic, seductive, and as charming as a cobra as he weaves his spell over the Safiens. Baldwin's ability to jump from utterly charming to incredibly chilling in the blink of an eye is on full display here; it is truly the performance of a lifetime.

See it once for the suspense, and again for the acting.

More twists and turns than Spaghetti Junction
It starts out with the appearance of one type of movie, but before long the true plot begins to take shape. There are so many twists that it can get a little confusing, and may take a second viewing just to clear up those loose ends. On the whole, an excellent movie, with some great acting from Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman and Bill Pullman. To go into too much detail about the film runs the risk of spoiling the ending, but if you enjoy Hitchcock thrillers, then you would do well to watch this. Stephen Buxton

Twisting and Entertaining
Proper enjoyment of this diverting little feature requires not knowing the plot twists, so I'll try to not spoil that enjoyment in praising this film.

I join Roger Ebert in not being able to think of another film that throws in a serial killer as just atmosphere - I watched this movie when it first came out a decade ago, then again on DVD yesterday, and I had completely forgotten the part about the serial killer.

Aside from the fact that George C. Scott has left us, it would be difficult to assemble a cast like this wouldn't it? Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman, Bill Pullman, Anne Bancroft, Gwyneth Paltrow, George C. Scott, Bebe Newirth, Peter Gallagher all contribute to this film.

I love to watch films of any genre and any country and the sensation I like to have at the end of the viewing experience is "satisfied" - in the same way that I'd like my palate and belly "satisfied" by a good meal. This screenplay twists and turns, but rather than in a Charlie Kaufman "hey-look-at-how-many-unexpected-twists-and-turns-I-can-put-in" kind of way this story moves in a way that wraps up loose ends in a "satisfied" kind of way.

Especially used, this DVD can be had for a song also. It's a satisfactory way to pass a couple of hours.

Key Point Missed on Serial Rapist Subplot
The serial rapist subplot is not unneccessary....it involved Andy (Pullman) being a suspect and the police taking a sperm sample to prove his innocence. Turns out he's sterile....which sets the storyline for Kidman's preganancy and the whole story line with Jed (Baldwin)....this movie was excellently done and some of the quotes (even beyond "I am God")are super memorable

Great All star Cast!
Star studded cast includes Bill Pullman, Nicole Kidman, Alec Baldwin, Anne Bancroft, and Gwyneth Paltrow all gave a Great performance. Excellent Storyline and beautiful scenery. A must-see on your next available weekend! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Enlightening Movie of a true crime story
The Onion Field is a true story by Joseph Wambaugh, a former policeman who knows of what he writes. The actors, especially James Woods actually looks like the killer he plays. Ted Danson is seen in his first major movie role, for only a short time, but an important character in the movie, which caused the LA Police Department to change it's rules about never "giving up your weapon" to anyone. It has a somewhat surprising ending, when you find out who is "remembering" the ordeal which is the basis of the theme of the movie, and how it affects his life. Joseph Wambaugh is at his best when he writes TRUE CRIME stories, such as this as well as "The Blooding", about the first time DNA was used to solve a case, which took place in England. He can hold you spell-bound.

Cop Drama That Made Cop Figures Human
"The Onion Field" is another one of those gripping cop dramas that makes it puzzling that the film didn't receive a single Academy Award nomination. Based on the true story and scripted by former cop Joseph Wambaugh (who also wrote the book), "The Onion Field" describes the mental breakdown of a cop (portrayed with excellence by John Savage) who witnesses his partner's murder in an onion field in California, the frustrating nature of the justice system and the loopholes it contains. The chilling contrast between Savage's fragile cop and James Woods' disturbing killer is highly intriguing. But most importantly, "The Onion Field" is a film that gives big screen cop figures a human, emotional quality, all filtered here by the high calliber acting and well written script.

"Have you ever heard of the 'Little Lindbergh' Law?"
Those are the bone-chilling words spoken by kidnapper and soon-to-be killer Gregory Powell (brilliantly portrayed by James Woods) just seconds before fatally shooting Sgt. Ian Campbell (sensitively portrayed by a pre-"Cheers" Ted Danson) near an abandoned onion field in the disturbing, psychologically intense film THE ONION FIELD (1979). This film, directed in an appropriate brooding, deliberate style by Harold Becker, recounts the events that took place on March 2, 1963, as well as the aftermath of subsequent trials that took their mental toll on Sgt. Karl Hettinger (brilliantly portrayed by the underrated Method actor John Savage).

Brilliant police novelist Joseph Wambaugh, whose earlier work "The Choirboys" became warped in the screenplay adaptation process and, as a result, got turned into an occasionally funny but ultimately unsatisfying movie in 1977 (in which James Woods, not coincidentally, had appeared), made sure this time that he had complete control over the screenplay for THE ONION FIELD. In doing so, the film version remains faithful to the events described in the book, as it recounts the slow build-up to the terrible crime in parallel scenes; one showing the criminals, and the other showing the police officers before their fateful meeting. It also shows the slow psychological breakdown that is suffered afterwards by the surviving officer, who is tortured by a seemingly endless cycle of trials as well as the derision of his police superiors who felt that he could have done more to prevent the tragedy.

The only major fault that I find in the film is its irregular chronology of the aftermath; it provides no dates for each scene, which is bad because a scene that takes place days after the previous one will be followed by a sudden jump of ten or more years into the future. This gets confusing to the viewer, who will suddenly--an unexpectantly--find a longhaired 1970's Gregory Powell spouting out prison law to a fellow inmate following a scene where the crewcut '60's Powell is defending himself in court. Also, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that (temporarily) outlawed capital punishment, thereby instantly commuting Powell and Jimmy Smith's death sentences to that of life imprisonment, is barely even mentioned, despite its obvious significance. Nevertheless, THE ONION FIELD is a compelling, and faithful, dramatization of one of the most shocking murder cases of the 1960's. It is just another small piece of American history, and is recommended for anyone who wants more insight into the development of our modern legal and law enforcement systems. Of course, I also recommend it for everyone who considers themselves to be film buffs. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

About As Interesting As Watching Onions Grow
For some reason, whenever Hollywood tries to make a movie out of a Joseph Wambaugh novel, the film tends to fall flat. And "The Onion Field" is a good example of how a good book can be turned into a bad film.

"The Onion Field" has all the makings of a good film: A good cast, high drama and a true-life story with a poignant message. However, this film does not make full use of these characteristics and the end result is a movie that never realizes its potential. If anything, "The Onion Field" is a long, boring film that leaves you feeling empty and drained.

They don't make 'em like this anymore
"The Onion Field" brought up the tail end of a "golden era" of intelligent, gripping and realistic American crime dramas that began with 1967's "In Cold Blood", and continued through the 70's with films like "Serpico" and "Dog Day Afternoon". Director Harold Becker ("City Hall", "Sea Of Love") assembles the perfect cast to portray the true story of a kidnapping and cold-blooded murder of an L.A. police officer in 1963. John Savage's usually distracting tics and twitches are put to good use as the high-strung, guilt-ridden cop who survives the harrowing incident. James Woods infuses his edgy, psychotic cop-killer with an underlying native intelligence that makes him even more frightening than usual. Newcomer Franklyn Seales is quite memorable in a layered performance as Woods' conflicted accomplice (unfortunately, Seales all but vanished after this potentially star-making role). Ted Danson and Ronny Cox also give excellent support. The scene dramatizing the "onion field incident" itself chills the viewer with the same unblinking realism that made "In Cold Blood"'s deliberate, step-by-step re-enactment of the Clutter killings so haunting. The film can also be seen as an unflinching look at the American justice system, and the resulting lose/lose scenarios that sometimes occur on both sides of the docket. Riveting and unforgettable. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Amazing and realistic look at how powerful drugs are!
There are some among us who would like to legalize drugs. They ought to watch this film. There are some who think that drug addiction is just an excuse. They ought to watch this film. In fact if you ever wanted to know what its like to be addicted to cocaine, just watch this movie.

This movie is simply the most powerful depiction I have seen of the devastating effects drugs can have on people. James Woods is brilliant, and the gradual erosion of his life seems to happen without his knowledge. Like the frog boiling in water, it all slips away subtly and quietly. In the end, he depicts the painful and harsh reality of a person who cannot see that he is in any way at fault, and if he gets just "one more break" it will all work out again.

Tremendous film and a very under-rated performance by Woods.

a great film.
James woods is excellent as a high powered salesman who's life goes of the rails as he becomes involved in drugs and high powered business deals.It shows how drugs can ruin ones life.

Cautionary Tale of Drug Abuse
Released during the "Just Say No" 1980s, this film is a cautionary tale of drug abuse. Lenny is a guy just trying to stake his claim in the world, to make a little money. He soon impresses a big wheel who moves Lenny and his wife to California where they are at first overwhelmed by the opulence but then become willing participants in it. Lenny continues to buy, buy, buy until it all crashes down. When the money stops rolling in, he is introduced to cocaine and the story then takes a dramatic turn as we watch Lenny lose it all. James Woods is fabulous as Lenny. I've seen this movie many times and now that I'm writing about it, I think it's time to pop this one into the VCR for another viewing.

WOODS AT HIS BEST
Although somewhat cliche ridden and certainly overly dramatic, "The Boost"presents a truly frightening depiction of cocaine and kinds of drug abuse. A picture of self destruction that is almost hard to believe.

James Wood outdoes himself in yet another fine performance. A film is worth seeing if only because he is in it. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Another Fine Pacino Vehicle
This film was made and was in theaters after "HEAT", but before "Devil's Advocate" and I must say that I actually liked it more than "Donnie Brasco". Pacino's John Pappas, actually made me wish that there were such a politician in the big apple after the passionate and vigorous speech given at the funeral in Harlem. The fact that at the end we find out that he was not as "kosher" as we were led to believe in the beginning, along with Danny Aiello's corrupt Anselmo, makes a person lose their faith in the movie's public officials as we do in real life after we've put so much faith and trust in them and we have the good script to thank for that. As for the rest of the cast, John Cusack has never been better as Kevin, the rightous deputy mayor along with Aiello and Fonda (too bad only a hint of affection between her and Cusack). Overall, the underrated "City Hall" is entertaining and suspenseful and a great "Pacino movie". Favorite line: Kevin: "The only thing new in this world is the history that you don't know."

Good but I expected more
"City Hall" is one of those movies that I watched expecting the best. It had a great cast and crew of which I have seen excellent films from. But all I got in the end was a lukewarm film. The premise is great. Political corruption always makes for an interesting movie and it certainly is interesting. Sadly it suffers from its own plot. So much time is spent trying to uncover this scandal that occurs in this film that there is no time to get to know any of the characters. Al Pacino plays the mayor of New York and while he handles the role passionately the script does not allow his character anytime to develop as with Cusak, Fonda, Aiello. The cast is supurb. In fact I do not believe I have seen better from John Cusak who rarely gets a stab at complex films such as this and Bridget Fonda and Danny Aiello both give excellent supporting performances. The intereaction between Cusak and Fonda also seemed really fake as well not by the actors fault but the screenwriters. There is no chemestry where one would expect. It isn't all that bad of a film. Fans of the actors should definately rent it especially for a really good Pacino monologue (they had to throw that in somewhere). The film had the director and the cast but what it needed was a better script.

Al Pacino, John Cusack, and Danny Aiello are great!
This is one of the best crime-drama movies during the late 1990s. It was filled with a great cast, a huge storyline, and many of the players involved gave great performances. Pacino was great; he should have been nominated for something. John Cusack was good too, as long as the viewer doesn't mind his Louuu-siana accent. He may come off as annoying if you can't stand this dialect. The way that Pacino's character interacted with Cusack's character was believable, dramatic, and slightly comical at times. Danny Aiello was superb as always. David Paymer was great in a supporting role. Bridget Fonda was good but not memorable.
There were times when this picture mentioned so many characters, probably too many. It may take a second viewing to remember, "which Zapatti was which?" After so many cross-references, one has to stop and think just to recap.
The ending didn't have a lot of sting. It was built up for so long in a good way and then was a little bit of a letdown. This was one of the few letdowns in the film
I think that since the movie wasn't billed as a huge, blockbuster big screen hit, it made some forget that this movie even existed. Pacino was great but the film's lack of "splash" in the theaters may have accounted for no nominations. It was semi-successful in the home market, and viewers are still learing that this title is out there. Made in 1996, it still stands up seven years later and should still be popular for many years from now.

So, make yourself some lemon pudding (you'll see) and rent this movie! Overall, a great picture.
4 ½ out of 5!!!

A GOLDSMITH CLASSIC
Jerry Goldsmith's combines essences of George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein in this inspired soundtrack. The sites and sounds of New York seem to waft over the senses as the flowing strings and French horns play. Piano and percussion highlight gang conflict. Classic stuff!

Grab a bagel, sit back, relax and enjoy this one.

Practice Run
Composer Jerry Goldsmiith's score for the drama City Hall is a real letdown. It sounds a lot like the music he would use later for LA Confidential. Sure, there are a few subtle differences here and there, but for the most part, the scores are too similar for my tastes. I am not used to Goldsmith doing this all that much. Even the stuff of his that isn't quite as good, usaully has some originality to it. The music for City Hall must have been a warm up for the latter film I mentioned. Most of the City Hall soundtrack spends its limited running time just reworking the main title-this tactic is not uncommon in a majority of film music-to use a certain amount of repetition-it's just usually not done this much for a single film. Horns, piano, and the drum are pretty much it.

The CD has 12 tracks and a running time of 30:14. My recommendation would be be to skip this, and seek out the the 2 soundtrack albums for LA Confidential, instead. At least the score sounds a bit more developed and there's a bit more musical variety ... Read more