City by the Sea
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: September 6, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
50
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 34 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
15
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
For the first time in years, De Niro digs deep emotionally, perhaps because he's been stirred by the powerful work of his co-stars, including a subtle Frances McDormand and a ferocious Patti LuPone, as well as the heartbreaking (and achingly beautiful) Franco. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
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 full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
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 full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
It's so bleak that it would play like a contrived neo-noir if it weren't so consistent, committed and obviously sincere. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Moves along with a quietude, a scruffy direct plainness that has long gone out of style. Read full review
70
New Times (L.A.)Luke Y. Thompson
We so often hear the lament that Hollywood films don't have characters we can care about that it's a real pleasure to note that all the people in this one feel fully developed. It'd be nice if there were more of a plot to go along with them.
70
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
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 full review
70
VarietyRobert Koehler
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 full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
For some reason, the emotional payoff of the film -- the healing of a dysfunctional family -- doesn't quite come off. Possibly this is because Franco doesn't generate the necessary sympathy or father-son chemistry with De Niro, possibly because it's just not in the script. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
A great cast can't quite pull City by the Sea out of the drink.
63
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
As a character study, City by the Sea is engaging. As a police thriller, it's not all there. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
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 full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Takes a fascinating true story and turns it into a conventional cop thriller, hoking up the provocative three-generation saga of the LaMarca family. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
Suffers from dialogue that often sounds like convenient exposition as well as from a climax that feels too pat and prosaic. But the film is peppered with small, explosive scenes that have a refreshing complexity. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Of course, bad writing can undo the best actor. If you doubt that, check out De Niro's soliloquy at the film's climax. He's acting the heck out of the words, but they're still dragging him down with them. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeSam Allis
The movie will be remembered primarily for the huge, emerging talent of James Franco, who plays De Niro's troubled son. Read full review
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