Manhattan Night

Crime, drama, mystery... no action. Not easy to make a good movie of such genre nowadays. And when reading story-line, one might think "haven't we seen them all?". Yes, we probably did.. but this one belongs to good ones.

Main role suits Adrien Brody perfectly. His "average guy" appearance gives the movie certain authenticity. But then, he never disappointed me. I never heard of Yvonne Strahovski before, though. In this movie however, she reminded me on Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. Difference being, Yvonne doesn't appear that cool'n'smart -which is only good in this case.

Story, in general, is not that new. But it has interesting plot, which is presented very good and kept my attention all the time. Now, even this movie is categorized (also) as mystery, I wouldn't say there's any. There are just things we don't know till the end of movie. OK, I admit, I found relationship between Ivonne and her husband kinda "weird"...

And finally, movie ending. In my opinion, it's perfect!

So, if you like this genre and you're in the right mood, I recommend to give it a try. I give 8 stars.

I'll admit, this one's a little baffling. "Manhattan Night" has all of your usual noir clichés and a generally melancholy vibe, but it is far from a nail-biter. There is a point, late in the game, where things actually do heat up, but it is a genuine challenge getting there. And this is a movie with more than one naked Yvonne Strahovski scene. That's criminal, man.

The movie's worth it for the cast (Jennifer Beals is always an asset) and there is a payoff in the end, but I can't say I'll be coming back around for this anytime soon.

5/10

Because Adrien Brody is superb in this movie! Brody plays a writer/investigator for a tabloid publication and he finds himself entwined into a complex mix of thugs, power brokers, prostitution, and murder. Himself and his family become endangered by his investigation but he cannot give up on the clues he uncovers to solve a mysterious murder.

This movie has a particular feel and look to it. Director/writer: Brian DeCubellis has created a film that has his signature on it ... in other words this is his movie. You feel the deceit, the lust, the grim, and ambition in each character. At two hours long some people may loose patients with this story but it's all worth it for the ending because the ending puts a finality to the murder mystery but a new emotional mystery is left unended.

If you like complex mysteries with numerous dead ends for the investigator but the investigator can't give up this is a good choice!

Film Noir like I like them. Even though there is not much action the movie is enjoyable to watch. It's all filmed at a slow pace, also with the calm narrating voice, but that's what this movie needs. It's a mystery drama that starts slow but once you're into the story it all gets better. The strange relationship between husband and wife Caroline and Simon Crowley played by Yvonne Strahovski and Campbell Scott is not the average day-to-day relationship and this is what makes the movie interesting. Add on that that Yvonne Strahovski is a candy for the eye. Adrien Brody plays like most of his roles, never flamboyant but always performing good. His character this time is also a very calm person that just tries to figure out some mysteries and solve some problems. But don't expect much action because there is hardly any, and the story doesn't really need action anyways. The story is strong enough for that. A good movie night assured.

Producer-director Brian DeCubellis had done some TV movies and short films before this bigger directorial effort, the neo-noir Manhattan Nights, from 2016. He certainly has talent.

The film stars Adrien Brody as Porter Wren, a columnist for a New York newspaper. His wife (Jennifer Beals) is a surgeon, so they are able to have a darling house that is hidden down an alley in Manhattan - something like Patchin Place in the west village.

When his newspaper is taken over by a Rupert Murdock type (Steven Berkoff), Porter reluctantly attends a party for him. There he meets the beautiful Caroline (Yvonne Strahovski) whose husband, well-known director Simon Crowley (Campbell Scott) was found dead, buried under the rubble of an imploded building, surrounded by pieces of jade. The two wind up having an affair.

It seems Simon was a complete weirdo with an interesting hobby of recording "honest moments" on video cards. Caroline takes Porter to a safety deposit box with dozens of them. She invites him to watch them. But it turns out one of those honest moments is being used to blackmail someone, and the person being blackmailed wants it and begins to terrorize Porter to find it. This leads to Porter uncovering secrets about Simon, Caroline, and person being blackmailed, and learning something about himself.

The film is based on an novel called Manhattan Nocturne. I suppose the name was changed because the filmmakers thought not enough people would know what a nocturne is. That's sad. The story is good but unsavory, and, frankly, so are the characters. And it has the usual female nudity.

The acting is very good, particularly from Brody and Strahovski - she is gorgeous and reminds me of Sharon Stone when she was younger. Brody has had a so-so career since winning the Oscar. This was a good role for him. Linda Lavin has a cameo, and she's excellent.

Overall I can't say I was crazy about "Manhattan Night." It was well done but unpleasant.