Night and the City (1992)

Touches You

Good movie but grossly overrated

Best movie ever!

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This is a fullblown Robert de Niro flick, who as a character is running on empty: no money from the ATM, no money from work. What to do? He creates a pipedream and is gonna organize a boxingmatch with no knowledge of it and with no money to back it. That spells trouble. Night and the City has it's other star in the name of Jessica Lange. Both Lange and de Niro make "Night and the City" a joy to watch. It is a light drama although the feelgood factor is at such a high that you could also call it a feelgood drama.You just gotta love the character de Niro plays, he fails at everything but gets away with it and has another even bigger project destined to fail lined up right after the earlier misfortunes. He is truly the great pretender, but feelin' good at it!If you like de Niro's work you should definitely see this lighter drama, because he dances a tightrope between a comedy and a drama and does so very convincing. The dialogues are funky and full of wit. The story is simple but connivingly great and has a great dynamic. It has a nice throwaway feel to it, but however lighthearted it is, the story deals with heinous deceit. "Night and the City" has become so dear to me over the years, because the characters are so sympathetic: while failing at everything they still hold on to their dreams and on to eachother's love. De Niro and Lange are just to die for in this New York Tale of love and deceit.

You have to approach a film like this with some ambivalence, given that it is a reinterpretation of a classic film noir. The fact that Scorsese pulled out should give one pause too. Did he have second thoughts about despoiling this favorite among film mavens and ending up with a travesty? Surprisingly, there are several good points to recommend the second version: De Niro's acting, the supporting cast, and the New York ambiance principally.Some of the reviewers on here argue that De Niro's unlikeable character diminishes the film, but they are missing the point -- the story is famous in part precisely because none of the characters is likable. More than 20 years into his career, De Niro turns in another fine performance and foreshadows some of the great work he does in this decade. Perspicacious fans will not be disappointed. The film goes wrong when it attempts to update the story and change things like the ending, which tries to redeem Harry and adds a sentimental touch totally out of keeping with the noir impetus of the film. The problem with revisions is knowing when to leave well enough alone. Scorsese went on to make a similar mistake with Cape Fear, which for all its virtues, pales besides the original and showcases De Niro in an over the top performance, which is gripping but flawed precisely because the film tries so hard to outdo its predecessor. Nonetheless, this version of Night and the City merits more attention than it has received.

Robert De Niro proved once again what a good actor he is, even given the poor writing in this 1992 film. As Harry Fabian, an adventurous lawyer on the make for a quick buck, De Niro showed a dimension of a fast talking, aggressive lawyer, who is looking to make a big score as he focuses his attention to the crooked world of boxing.De Niro had a really excellent supporting cast to work with, Jessica Lange and the late Cliff Gorman, as a couple, looking to make it big as well, with Lange romancing DeNiro on the side. The late Jack Warden represents the old-time prize fighter, filled with memories, along with his bad ticker. Alan King shines as his mobster brother, threatening and menacing to the hilt.To me, De Niro represented another midnight urban cowboy, living in a city of decay, searching for an easy buck, and getting a bullet in the back for his efforts in the end.

This is a remake of Night and the City (1950) directed by Jules Dissan, who was blacklisted by Hollywood because of actions by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and for that reason is dedicated to Dissan who had to continue his career in Europe. The original film starred Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Francis L. Sullivan and Herbert Lom. I haven't seen that film, but I understand that it is very good.This film from 1992 is not bad; however for some reason its reputation isn't much. The voters at IMDb give it a rather tepid 5.7 stars out of 10 while giving the original 8 out of 10. I'm not sure why, but I think it has to do with: (1) Robert De Niro playing a non-heroic character. It certainly doesn't have anything to do with his acting. He is outstanding as Harry Fabian, flimflam low life lawyer and cheap BS artist who tries desperately to make a big splash as a fight promoter. I think most De Niro fans would prefer to see him in a more two-fisted role. At any rate, those who didn't like the movie almost certainly didn't care for De Niro's performance since his character dominates the action.(2) The ending, which some might see as unfinished and others as disagreeable since, regardless of what transpires, Fabian is still a loser, perhaps bigger than ever.(3) Some rather cheesy plot play. Near the end Fabian and Helen (Jessica Lange looking as fetching as ever) hide in a dead end alley among dumpsters and trash cans. Well, they should have continued running since the guys after them were only walking. Also when Fabian and Helen run out the side door of the restaurant they go the wrong way so that the heavies can see them running across the street. Had they turned left instead of right (as anybody in their situation would have done) they would not even have been seen. Furthermore, Fabian in a flamboyant gesture throws $12,000 into the air that flutters to the ground in the dead end alley. Nobody bothers to pick it up. That could happen.What cannot be faulted is the authentic New York atmosphere created by director Irvin Winkler, who is better know as a producer, most notably of the Sylvester Stallone "Rocky" films, and the fine work by the rest of the cast, especially Alan King (Ira "Boom Boom" Grossman), Eli Wallach (Peck), Cliff Gorman (Phil Nasseros), and Jack Warden (Al Grossman). The story itself, from a novel by Gerald Kersh (script by Richard Price), is a variation on the "lovable, colorful loser makes good" theme, only in this case, like an inept noir anti-hero, he falls on his face--more than once, by the way.No real De Niro fan should miss this. Personally I thought it was one of his best performances. The rapid fire dialogue, the fawning, pathetic, yet somehow uplifting personality were not something most actors could pull off, at least not nearly as well. De Niro became the character he portrayed.Bottom line: definitely worth seeing. You will not be bored.(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)