CITY OF INDUSTRY
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.0 Alternative Scale: ** out of ****
United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: 3/14/97 (limited) Running Length: 1:35 MPAA Classification: R (Violence, profanity, nudity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Stephen Dorff, Timothy Hutton, Famke Janssen,
Wade Dominguez
Director: John Irvin
Producers: Evzen Kolar and Ken Solarz
Screenplay: Ken Solarz
Cinematography: Thomas Burstyn
Music: Stephen Endelman
U.S. Distributor: Orion Pictures
If the newly-reconstituted Orion Pictures hopes to be more successful than their old self, they're going to have to release more interesting motion pictures than CITY OF INDUSTRY, a cliche-riddled thriller from director John Irvin (A MONTH BY THE LAKE). This film, which stars crime movie veteran Harvey Keitel, borrows liberally from a host of previous heist and revenge pictures, using a stale plot to showcase stereotyped characters. The only good thing about CITY OF INDUSTRY is that it moves at a pretty fast clip, but that's not really a reason to see it.
I like Harvey Keitel. Even when he's in a bad-to-mediocre movie, he's fun to watch, which is the case here, where he plays Roy Egan, a career thief of some repute. When his brother, Lee (Timothy Hutton), asks him to participate in the Palm Springs robbery of a jewelry store, Roy takes a bus from his home in the Midwest to Los Angeles. The operation's potential take: $2-3 million. The Egans' partners: Jorge Montana (Wade Dominguez), a family man on his way back to jail, and Skip Kovich (Stephen Dorff), a borderline-psycho who's "smart... sleep- deprived... impatient and erratic." The robbery goes down without a hitch, but a betrayal occurs soon after, leaving Roy and Skip gunning for each other.
The only remotely involving aspect of CITY OF INDUSTRY is the opening half-hour, which details the planning and execution of the crime. Admittedly, it's not all that original (and pales in comparison to similar sequences in RESERVOIR DOGS), but the character interaction is at least interesting. After the film's bloody turning-point, however, the cat-and-mouse plotline fails to generate much interest. Skip is strictly a single-note character, Roy isn't very compelling, and Roy's lukewarm flirtation with Jorge's wife, Rachel (Famke Janssen), is dull and predictable. The film occasionally seems to be on the verge of breaking away from the formulaic conventions of the genre, but it never succeeds.
I don't know whether large portions of CITY OF INDUSTRY ended up on the cutting room floor or not, but there are times when the movie's narrative is barely coherent. At one point, Skip is running around with a black gang. Later, he's with a group of Chinese thugs. No explanation is given for these associations, or of how the numerous minor characters relate to each other. In fact, as far as background is concerned, little is presented about even the main players. Other than a few sketchy details, we know very little about Roy, Lee, Jorge, or Skip.
There's a big hole in the cast. While Keitel, Wade Dominguez, and an underused Timothy Hutton are all fine, Stephen Dorff is awful. For some unfathomable reason, this young actor, who recently strutted his limited stuff in BLOOD AND WINE, is hot. Dorff, who has a James Dean attitude without the talent or range, is incapable of bringing any charisma to Skip, a character in need of more than the actor can give him. Meanwhile, Famke Janssen, who was last seen as the over-the-top Onatopp in GOLDENEYE, makes a credible switch to dramatic acting, even though her character is pretty lifeless.
It's difficult to generate much enthusiasm for a motion picture that's so derivative. Separately, John Irvin and Harvey Keitel have been responsible for a number of memorable motion pictures. Unfortunately, together for the first time in CITY OF INDUSTRY, all they manage to fashion is an unforgettable ninety-five minutes that's not worth more than an energetic yawn.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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