Broken City

BROKEN CITY

Director : Allen Hughes

Year : 2013

Genre : Political Thriller

Rating : ***1/2

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta Jones and directed by one half of one of the most critically lauded partnerships in cinema, 'Broken City' is a stylish thriller that works well despite it's conventional and coincident filled script. Reminiscent of  'The Ides of March' as well as containing elements of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece 'Vertigo', 'Broken City' is a rather generic film that is saved by the calibre of its actors and the talents of its director. Echoing the current state of governments across the world as well as delving into a characters psyche, the film is strangely prophetic and hits close to home. It's just a shame that it never reaches the realms of greatness which it could have easily achieved.

Billy Taggart (Wahlberg) is a police officer turned private investigator who is hired by the corrupt Mayor of New York (Crowe) to stalk his wife about whom he suspects is having a lurid affair (Jones). However, as Taggart begins to build a bigger picture and discovers the truth, he is caught in a tangled web of lies, murder and betrayal which could not only destroy his life, but the lives of millions of voters.

The Hughes Brothers are probably most famous for their stylish and visceral thrillers such as 'Menace II Society' 'Dead President's' and 'From Hell'. Despite being the younger of the twins, Allen Hughes has had a more prolific career as a solo director, having helmed a TV film called 'Knight Of The South Bronx' which was a huge critical success. 'Broken City' is his feature film debut and while not as accomplished as the previous work with his older brother, it is still an intelligent, thrilling and enthralling movie which is acted very well indeed. Shot on high definition cameras, the movie has a distinctive blue glow which corresponds well to the dark and seedy underworld in which the film is set. With an emphasis on the concrete jungle that is central Manhattan, Hughes continually uses shots of The Empire State Building, Wall Street and other economic powers of the city to highlight the corruption, tyranny and scandal that runs though the entire narrative of the story. In the same way that 'From Hell' had a nightmarish red hue to echo the bloodshed on screen, 'Broken City' uses the lights of the city and the infrastructure of it's surroundings to give the film a realistic and urban ambience. In this sense, the movie could easily be seen as a 'noir' film but without the dark undercurrents and subject matter that usually come with the subgenre.

Unfortunately as mentioned, the film is bogged down with a dreary and formulaic script written by Brian Tucker that is filled with implausible coincidences and almost supernatural improbabilities. These moments take the film out of the realms of reality and into the territory of stupidity. The main plot of 'Broken City' is very similar to the 2010 political drama 'The Ides Of March' in which a corrupt politician is similarly bought down by a seemingly unimportant character and these similarities make the film seem rather pointless and repetitive. However as a positive, 'Broken City' is much more entertaining that the dreary 'The Ides Of March' which I found to be a well acted but plodding bore. But if you can plan how the film is going to play itself out within half an hour, you really are not trying.

The highlight of 'Broken City' is the brilliant cast that all make the most of the parts they are given. Wahlberg is very effective as a man unable to deal with his troubled past, but tries to find solace by helping others sort out their lives. Thanks to his brilliant performances in films such as 'Boogie Nights', 'The Fighter' and 'The Departed', Wahlberg has become one of my favourite actors of the past decade and 'Broken City' doesn't break this trend. We are sadly living in a time when corruption and distrust are rife in politics and Russell Crowe is suitably sly as the conniving and self centred Hostetler, whose lust for money, power and fame is unhealthily strong. We see a lot of our respective governments in this character, who hides his corrupt and selfish nature beneath a veneer of charm, good looks and empty promises.

If the film had been written better and hadn't been so formulaic, I am sure that 'Broken City' would be one of my favourite films of the year. It is directed extremely well and is acted brilliantly, especially by Russell Crowe who steals the entire movie. It's just a shame that for a movie that is clearly a statement about politics and the current corruption in government, 'Broken City' really isn't as acerbic and biting as it should be.