Back home

Night Falls on Manhattan

133 votes

Producing House

A newly elected District attorney finds himself in the middle of a police corruption investigation that may involve his father and his partner.

movie

Status: Released

Released Date: 1997-03-21

Runtime: 113 mins

Director: Sidney Lumet

Spoken language: English

Genres: Drama, Crime, Thriller

Original title: Night Falls on Manhattan

Production Companies: Paramount Pictures, Spelling Films

Production Countries: United States of America

Reviews

G

Geronimo1967
This film starts and ends with some lovely jazz, thereafter it is all rather an unremarkable crime thriller. When a drug dealer kills three cops and then escapes in a patrol car, the District Attorney "Morgie" (Ron Liebman) announces that when the perpetrator is apprehended, he is going to be prosecuted by the newly qualified lawyer (and ex-cop) son of one of those officers seriously injured by the attacker. "Casey" (Andy Garcia) is that man, and after a curiously far-fetched turn of events finds himself facing the killer in court and next thing, he is DA himself and party to an investigation into police corruption that might well lead to his own nearest and dearest. To be honest, I found this whole thing all just too convenient. It's all just a bit too "nice" and the courtroom scenes at the start which also feature Richard Dreyfuss are really underwhelming. The plot is messy and the conclusion really lacks, well, substance. It looks good and combined with the score is effective at creating a New York that is seedy and immoral - but Garcia just hasn't the gravitas to pull this off and Ian Holm (his father "Liam") is no great shakes either. It's watchable on the telly on a wet winter's evening, but that's about the height of it, sorry.
2023-02-26

Recommendations

Lower City
3.2

Lower City

2005-11-04

Best friends Deco and Naldinho co-own a cargo boat in Brazil's Salvador da Bahia. They give a ride t

Dick Tracy
3.1

Dick Tracy

1990-04-05

The comic strip detective finds his life vastly complicated when Breathless Mahoney makes advances t

Albino Alligator
2.9

Albino Alligator

1997-01-17

While escaping from a foiled robbery attempt, three thieves find themselves surrounded by police at

Bad Samaritan
3.4

Bad Samaritan

2018-04-19

A thief makes a disturbing discovery in the house where he breaks in. Later, when he returns to the

The Negotiator
3.6

The Negotiator

1998-07-29

The police try to arrest expert hostage negotiator Danny Roman, who insists he's being framed for hi

National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
3

National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1

1993-02-04

An LA detective is murdered because she has microfilm with the recipe to make cocaine cookies. Two c

Trail of the Pink Panther
2.6

Trail of the Pink Panther

1982-12-03

The Pink Panther diamond is stolen once again from Lugash and the authorities call in Chief Inspecto

Shoot to Kill
3.3

Shoot to Kill

1988-02-12

When a cunning murderer vanishes into the rugged mountains of the Pacific Northwest, pursuing FBI ag

7 Seconds
2.7

7 Seconds

2005-06-28

When an experienced thief accidentally makes off with a Van Gogh, his partner is kidnapped by gangst

End Game
2.7

End Game

2006-07-27

Alex Thomas was the man in charge of protecting the president but, when the time came to fulfill his

Bad Boys
3.4

Bad Boys

1995-04-07

Marcus Burnett is a henpecked family man. Mike Lowrey is a footloose and fancy free ladies' man. Bot

Demolition Man
3.4

Demolition Man

1993-10-08

In 1996, brash L.A. detective John Spartan and maniac killer Simon Phoenix are both sentenced to dec

Darkman
3.2

Darkman

1990-08-24

Dr. Peyton Westlake is on the verge of realizing a major breakthrough in synthetic skin when his lab

Blood Work
3.1

Blood Work

2002-08-09

Still recovering from a heart transplant, a retired FBI profiler returns to service when his own blo

Fulltime Killer
3.4

Fulltime Killer

2001-08-03

Professional assassin O has resided in an isolated world of killing and loneliness. But his life beg

Convoy
3.1

Convoy

1978-06-27

Trucker Rubber Duck and his buddies Pig Pen, Widow Woman and Spider Mike use their CB radios to warn

Red Heat
3.1

Red Heat

1988-06-17

A tough Russian policeman is forced to partner up with a cocky Chicago police detective when he is s

On Deadly Ground
2.6

On Deadly Ground

1994-02-18

Forrest Taft is an environmental agent who works for the Aegis Oil Company in Alaska. Aegis Oil's co

Fisherman's Burden
0

Fisherman's Burden

2024-11-15

A father-and-son fishing duo find a briefcase of criminal money in a river and are chased by both th

Life Is All You Get
3.3

Life Is All You Get

1997-03-20

After he loses his job, his father, and his girlfriend, Jan's life is a shambles. Then suddenly he m