Whether you're in public office or in the police force, Broken City is an action-thriller that shows survival, by all means possible on a job that requires the public trust. On that premise alone, the film directed by Allen Hughes (The Book of Eli), delivers with a solid cast led by Mark Wahlberg as Billy Taggart, an ex NYPD cop, who after being involved in a questionable shooting incident a few years back, turns into a private detective hired by the fictional Mayor of New York City
Nicholas Hostetler played by Russell Crowe, to investigate his wife Cathleen's (Catherine Zeta-Jones) infidelity and Taggart finds out that there's more to that.
Mostly set on the days before the city's mayoral election, Broken City effectively shows the dirty politics both on the stage and behind the scenes. After Les Miserables, Crowe is on a streak playing villainous characters and he's way better here playing the corrupt mayor than the Inspector Javert even though LesMis earned 8 Oscar nominations.
Mark Wahlberg plays the usual variation of a Mark Wahlberg character in most of his similarly themed films (We Own The Night, Four Brothers, Shooter and Contraband) all come to mind but nevertheless he and Crowe have chemistry together in the film.
Zeta-Jones brings out the right glamour and beauty as New York City's first lady but she is underutilized in the film but the one who comes up with the best performance in the film is Jeffrey Wright as the police commissioner. He is the conscience of the film.
Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan), Kyle Chandler (Zero Dark Thirty), Alona Tal (TV's Supernatural) and Natalie Martinez (End of Watch) round up the supporting cast of Broken City.
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