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A Few Words About A few words about...™ City Island -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris

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For many cinephiles who view known classics for the first time, there is the knowledge that you're probably in for a treat. The risk of giving up the two hours necessary to view the film is seldom in doubt.
 
The same cannot be said of unknowns. In most cases, I steer clear of reviews before viewing film. If the concept sounds interesting, or if I like the actors, I'll generally give it a try.
 
Raymond De Felitta's City Island is one of those productions that didn't receive a twenty million dollar marketing campaign. It's one of the small productions (Anchor Bay Films) that slowly makes its way from foreign sales gatherings to film festivals, and gains whatever steam, publicity and sizzle it can generate along the way.
 
So for me, besides the knowledge that it starred Andy Garcia, a filmmaker whose work I highly respect -- those who haven't seen The Lost City, which he directed, should make the effort -- and Julianna Margulies, it was unknown to me.
 
Part of the fun of viewing a film or reading a book, and not knowing where you're going to be taken is the smile that it puts on your face when you suddenly realize that the place that you are being taken is somewhere very special.
 
And that is the case of City Island.
 
I adore this film!
 
To break it down to plot would be a disservice, so I'll simply go with the fact that its about communication within a family, and how mis-statements and information held in reserve can occasionally create problems. In some ways, structurally, it reminded me of Love Actually.
 
All performances are superb and on target. Seeing Alan Arkin not playing a grandfather is always a treat. The young talent is pitch perfect, inclusive of Steven Strait and Dominik Garcia-Lorido, a talented beauty who I continually thought had a familiar face. A bit of research shows her to be Mr. Garcia's daughter. I guess it's the eyes that got me. Both she and Mr. Strait should have wonderful careers ahead of them.
 
If there was one thing that disturbed me, it was the amount of lipstick used on young actor Ezra Miller -- just a little odd.
 
The Blu-ray is fine quality.
 
So what do we have?
 
An essentially unknown, low-budget production, released on Blu-ray by an entity other than a major studio...
 
that is terrific entertainment. In my book, worth a pre-order. The film is a sweet, charming keeper.
 
Highly Recommended.
 
RAH
 

Michael Reuben

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I did a double, then a triple take, when I saw this thread title. It's a rare privilege to get RAH's insight into one of the lesser known films that make up the bulk of my review pile. /img/vbsmilies/htf/smile.gif
 
This is a charming film that spent a few months playing at theaters in New York City, where I suspect a lot of viewers recognized people they knew in one or more of the characters. An HTF review will be arriving . . . soon.
 

schan1269

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In case anyone wants this...
Target had the BD for $4.50 today. Supposedly is a normal $5 BD(if I read the tag correctly...watched it a few times on Crapflix...'bout time I had the disc)
 

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