City by the Sea Critic Reviews

Not an extraordinary movie. In its workmanship it aspires not to be remarkable but to be well made, dependable, moving us because of the hurt in the hero's eyes.Read the full review

It's so bleak that it would play like a contrived neo-noir if it weren't so consistent, committed and obviously sincere.Read the full review

Moves along with a quietude, a scruffy direct plainness that has long gone out of style.Read the full review

Against the backdrop represented by stark images of abandoned buildings and lost dreams, the tale that is City by the Sea emerges, with the power of the visual cues giving this film its forcefulness.Read the full review

Calls on De Niro to drum up the sort of emotional intensity that's been allowed to atrophy of late. City By The Sea isn't always worthy of him, but it makes enough demands to bring out his best.Read the full review

De Niro's reunion with helmer Michael Caton-Jones doesn't stoke the same fire as their previous pere-fils drama, "This Boy's Life," partly because De Niro's latest portrayal of a troubled cop feels so familiar.Read the full review

The movie will be remembered primarily for the huge, emerging talent of James Franco, who plays De Niro's troubled son.Read the full review

It's a run-of-the-mill cop thriller but also a gripping family drama. It is in the moments spent untangling the threads of troubled relationships that the movie is at its best.Read the full review

Notwithstanding a thin script and a color-by-numbers ending, the movie is redeemed by its solid performances.Read the full review