Night Falls on Manhattan (1996)

Sidney Lumet was well versed in police procedurals; prior to this Andy Garcia fronted police corruption thriller he had dealt with similar subject matter before in Prince Of The City (1981) and Q&A (1990). In terms of this genre, Serpico (1973) remains Lumet’s best; and Night Falls On Manhattan could have done with the more sprawling feel of Serpico. Although the performances (Garcia provides an authentic lawyer feel to proceedings, ably supported by Ian Holm and James Gandolfini) are very solid and the story is engaging, it’s one of those rare films that could have actually done with another half hour or so. The expansive nature of the plot isn’t quite matched by the pace of the film; it squeezes a court case that makes up the middle section in alongside an excellent shootout sequence at the film's opening, finishing with a slightly rushed justice charge to the film's conclusion. Garcia’s lawyer and eventual DA Sean (ludicrously given a case that involves his own Father) tackles truth and his own conscience in attempting to find justice, and Lumet is almost always worth your time; you just wish on this occasion that the three distinct sections of the film had been fleshed out a tad more. 6.7/10