City Hall (96)

3/8/97

Let me get this out of the way first: John Cusack is my generation's best actor. Now that Mr. Phoenix is no longer with us, it's up to John alone to give us faith in young acting. He is in this film with Pacino and Aiello and Landau and a Fonda. With a cast like this, you expect something extra-special. Unfortunately, this movie becomes mired in hard-to-follow plot twists. Pacino is the mayor of New York, a great man. Perhaps the greatest man Cusack's character has ever met. Cusack plays the Deputy Mayor who's a bayou boy from Louisiana. It turns out that Pacino is not the perfect man Cusack wishes he was. As we all have heroes who turn out to be human, Cusack at first doesn't want to know Pacino's shortcomings, but then chooses to investigate them. The romance between Cusack and Fonda is worthless. Aiello is fabulous as always as a borough councilman. He will be having a scene and speaking words, but his face and eyes will be saying something completely different. He almost captures perfectly this powerful game of politics where some words can't be said, and a handshake may or may not be more important than a contract. This film almost works on star power alone.
Al Pacino John Cusack Bridget Fonda Danny Aiello Martin Landau David Paymer Anthony Franciosa Richard Schiff Lindsay Duncan Nestor Serrano Cinematography by Michael Seresin and Jamie Silverstein Directed by Harold Becker
40 critics 6.8 Ebert **^ Maltin **^
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