City Hall **** (1996, Al Pacino, John Cusack, Bridget Fonda, Danny Aiello, Martin Landau, David Paymer, Anthony Franciosa) – Classic Movie Review 1508

Director Harold Becker’s 1996 true-story drama exposes shame and scandal in New York city as an innocent child is killed in the crossfire by a stray bullet when a drug dealer and an undercover cop shoot it out in a street battle.

Becker’s movie is a superb and provocative political drama with an intelligent script and a feast of flamboyant acting from Al Pacino as New York Mayor John Pappas and John Cusack as his eager-beaver Deputy Mayor, Kevin Calhoun, who leads an investigation into the accidental shooting of the boy, sparking far-reaching consequences. The drug dealer was a Mob family member who had been suspiciously given probation and broken its terms.

The actors get to chew on big emotive speeches appropriate to politics, but unusual in movies these days. Bridget Fonda as Marybeth Cogan, Danny Aiello as Frank Anselmo, Martin Landau (who died at 89 on 15 July 2017) as Judge Walter Stern, David Paymer as Abe Goodman, Anthony [Tony] Franciosa (who died at 77 in 2006) as Paul Zapatti, Richard Schiff as Larry Schwartz, Lindsay Duncan as Sydney Pappas and Nestor Serrano as Detective Eddie Santos round out the distinguished cast.

Ken Lipper, Bo Goldman, Paul Schrader and Nicholas Pileggi worked on the screenplay, based on a true story.

RIP Martin Landau.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1508

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