The Bottom Line
City Island is a charming comedy about a dysfunctional family living on City Island, the little-known fishing village located in the Bronx.
Andy Garcia adopts a Bronx accent and an everyguy demeanor to play family patriarch and corrections officer Vince Rizzo. The lovely Julianna Margulies is his tough-as-nails wife Joyce.
City Island steers clear of the cliches of the typical male midlife crisis story. Writer/director Raymond De Felitta is a great storyteller and it's a pleasure to visit his City Island and spend a few hours with the crazy but lovable Rizzos.
Andy Garcia adopts a Bronx accent and an everyguy demeanor to play family patriarch and corrections officer Vince Rizzo. The lovely Julianna Margulies is his tough-as-nails wife Joyce.
City Island steers clear of the cliches of the typical male midlife crisis story. Writer/director Raymond De Felitta is a great storyteller and it's a pleasure to visit his City Island and spend a few hours with the crazy but lovable Rizzos.
Pros
- Charming dysfunctional family comedy with a twist
- Great writing brings unpredictable and quirky characters to life
- Engaging performances from the ensemble cast
- Unique City Island setting
Cons
- The conclusion is satisfying, if a bit predictable
Description
- City Island
- Director/Screenwriter: Raymond De Felitta
- Starring: Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer, Alan Arkin, Steven Strait, Ezra Miller, Dominik Garcia Lorido
Guide Review - City Island - Movie Review
City Island may look like a sleepy seaside community, but there is plenty of drama going on behind the closed doors of those charming beach cottages just miles from Pelham Park.
City Island, starring Andy Garcia and Julianna Margulies, premiered at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival and tells the story of a dysfunctional working class family living in New York City’s only fishing village. Dad Vince is having a midlife crisis, mom Joyce feels neglected, and teens Vivian and Vinnie are hiding with their own secrets.
Vince Rizzo was raised on City Island (that makes him a "clam digger" -- "mussel suckers" are the invading newcomers). He works as a corrections officer, but secretly dreams of becoming an actor. He tells wife Joyce that he's playing poker when he sneaks off to his weekly acting classes, but she knows he's keeping a secret and assumes it involves another woman.
Meanwhile, the Rizzos' daughter Vivian is hiding her stripping career and their son Vinnie is obsessed with their 300-pound neighbor. In the midst of all of this, Vince is confronted by a mistake from his past and the attentions of a pretty actress while Joyce is distracted by a hot, shirtless houseguest.
Writer/director De Felitta throws in twists to keep you engaged and Garcia will win your heart with his performance -- especially his audition scene. Margulies is also great as a strong and sexy Bronx housewife working hard to deny her vulnerability. Alan Arkin and Emily Mortimer are always a pleasure to watch and Ezra Miller as Vinnie and Steven Strait as Tony also deliver memorable performances.
In the film’s dramatic climax, all secrets are revealed. Although the conclusion is predictable, it is nonetheless satisfying. I left the theater with a smile on my face and think you will too.
City Island, starring Andy Garcia and Julianna Margulies, premiered at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival and tells the story of a dysfunctional working class family living in New York City’s only fishing village. Dad Vince is having a midlife crisis, mom Joyce feels neglected, and teens Vivian and Vinnie are hiding with their own secrets.
Vince Rizzo was raised on City Island (that makes him a "clam digger" -- "mussel suckers" are the invading newcomers). He works as a corrections officer, but secretly dreams of becoming an actor. He tells wife Joyce that he's playing poker when he sneaks off to his weekly acting classes, but she knows he's keeping a secret and assumes it involves another woman.
Meanwhile, the Rizzos' daughter Vivian is hiding her stripping career and their son Vinnie is obsessed with their 300-pound neighbor. In the midst of all of this, Vince is confronted by a mistake from his past and the attentions of a pretty actress while Joyce is distracted by a hot, shirtless houseguest.
Writer/director De Felitta throws in twists to keep you engaged and Garcia will win your heart with his performance -- especially his audition scene. Margulies is also great as a strong and sexy Bronx housewife working hard to deny her vulnerability. Alan Arkin and Emily Mortimer are always a pleasure to watch and Ezra Miller as Vinnie and Steven Strait as Tony also deliver memorable performances.
In the film’s dramatic climax, all secrets are revealed. Although the conclusion is predictable, it is nonetheless satisfying. I left the theater with a smile on my face and think you will too.
