Rating: R
Genre:
Drama
Theatrical Release: 09/06/2002(USA)
Release Date: 02/18/2003
SubTitles: English/French/Espanol
Dubbed: English/French
Sound: DD5.1
Run Time: 108 Minutes
Flags: Violence, Adult Language, Substance Abuse (Alcohol, Drugs)
Distributor/Studio: Warner Home Video
A man struggling to come to terms with the sins of his father makes the terrible discovery that his own son has fallen into a life of crime in a
drama based on a true story.
Vincent LaMarca (
Robert DeNiro) is a dedicated and well-respected New York City police detective who has gone to great lengths to distance himself from his past; four decades earlier,
Vincent's father
Angelo killed a young child, and since then
Vincent has carried emotional scars from this incident that he refuses to show to the world.
Vincent lives alone in a small apartment building, though he has nurtured a close if tentative relationship with his downstairs neighbor,
Michelle (
Frances McDormand). One day,
Vincent and his partner,
Reg Duffy (
George Dzundza), are assigned to investigate a murder when the body of a young man is found dead in a dumpster. It turns out the body was that of a drug dealer, and the dealer's partner in crime,
Spyder (
William Forsythe), believes the killer was one of his regular customers -- a junkie would-be musician who calls himself
Snake (
Brian Tarantina).
City By the Sea was adapted from a piece by journalist
Mike McAlary which first appeared in
Esquire magazine; the cast also includes
Eliza Dushku and
Anson Mount.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide