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City Island, Movie

City Island 2009

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Set in a quaint fishing community on the outskirts of New York City, this is a comedy about a family whose compulsive capacity to lie creates a perfect storm of deception, half truths and confusion... More

Dad Vince (Andy Garcia) is the worst offender: a corrections officer who won't admit that "poker night" is in fact acting class, plus he has an illegitimate son. His daughter works as a stripper when she's supposed to be in college, while young Vinnie Jr has a secret sexual fetish that involves a 24-hour webcam and the family's 140kg neighbour. Vince's fiery wife Joyce (Julianna Margulies) is the family's rock, but it's been a year since she enjoyed intimacy with her husband, and she thinks "poker night" spells "affair".

When Vince's drama teacher (Alan Arkin) encourages him to reveal his biggest secret in class, the father becomes inspired by the truth. He brings his other son (Steven Strait) into the family and sets off a chaotic chain of events that turns his mundane suburban life upside down. Hide

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The People's Reviews

Rating:

7 ratings and 10 reviews

All reviews (10)

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Outrageous

mcdavers Nobody (?)

This looks more like 'Outrageous Fortune' than America's actual version of it, 'Scoundrels' which completely misses the mark.

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Fresh, funny, excellent acting.

Bonux Flicks Superstar (?)

I did not expect much from that movie but it delivered on every aspect, especially the characters. I strongly recommend it.

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Sexual fetish...

Bonux Flicks Superstar (?)

The word is a bit strong because apart from a brief visit on a porn website, there is nothing really explicit. Let say the son (hilarious by the way) has a fetish for fat people. He loves to watch them eating. He is a nice weirdo not in the perverted sense, more in the farcical sense. Frankly the casting of this movie was a good surprise, I am not particularly fan of Andy Garcia (who speaks with his typical New York mafioso accent) but they all manage to bring a special dimension to that movie. Besides it is a beautiful story that many people will easily identify with. It is very rare in the current wave of CGI movies to watch something that refreshing. I did not know this part of New York and it made me want to go there.

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WT...? Did you say Outrageous Fortune?!

Bonux Flicks Superstar (?)

There is no link whatsoever between City Island and Outrageous Fortune. O.F. is vulgar, poorly written, poorly acted, mostly over dramatic, while the fun factor is the equivalent of watching a dog pooping. City Island is witty, it has a proper script, the characters are likable, it is touching without being a tear jerker and it is entertaining. Outrageous Fortune wants to be outrageous so bad it became obnoxious and silly after a couple of episodes. City Island never tries to be in your face, it is not nasty nor shocking for the sake of it, it is just believable. There are people like the O.F. characters in real life but you would not care to remember them. People who enjoy their own state of misery and insist to share it with you, are not likable. Conversely, the characters of City Island offer a lot more depth, they are likable with their qualities and defaults. The chemistry between Andy Garcia and his daughter in real life, is actually funny to watch. If you like awkward situations and colorful characters but cannot stand the vulgarity of O.F., City Island is definitely for you. I do not mind rude when it serves a nice script, but vulgar is one adjective that really kills a movie or TV show for me.

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Haha Pretty Good Really

Seen Them All Nobody (?)

This movie was just a whim, spur of the moment kind of thing. It was a nice surprise. Funny, witty and watchable. The only bad part was that the ending is a bit sucky, but don't let that put you off seeing it.

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Very enjoyable

Schitwatz Nobody (?)

Most enjoyable movie I've seen in ages. Warm, funny but not in a sentimental way.

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Review

Lotus Nobody (?)

If you want to laugh and have fun, go and see this movie. Highly recommended.

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Great little "indie" flick.

Weds_Loafers Flicks Superstar (?)

This is one of those great little US "indie" flicks (think "Juno", "Little Miss Sunshine") about a family with deep secrets. We watch the inevitable unfolding and outing of these secrets and the consequences that follow. It's well acted with a terrific script. A thoroughly enjoyable experience .

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Hilarious!

BrionyJae Flicks Superstar (?)

Didn't know quite what to expect from this film, as the actors aren't particularly well known... but it was just hilarious! I wouldn't call it predictable, even though I could kind of guess how it might turn out - the way it DOES turn out is even more funny than I could have imagined :D Light, fluffy comedy, I'd definitely recommend it!

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Press Reviews

Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

Vince is a man with a dream. Marlon Brando is his god. He would like to become an actor. This is not likely. He's well into his 40s, a prison guard living with his family on City Island, a bucolic outcrop of the Bronx known mostly to its residents. Telling his wife he's going to a poker game, Vince attends acting classes in Manhattan. In one class, Vince creates a spot-on imitation, not of Marlon Brando, but of bad Brando imitators. Full review.

Christchurch Press (Margaret Agnew)

The real City Island is less of an actual island and more a big sandbar, really. Full review.

Empire (UK)

An, at-times, marvellous muddle of high farce and low-brow chuckles Full review.

Guardian (UK)

A labour of love for producer-star Andy Garcia, this drama of blue collar lives in New York is a little on the soapy side, says Peter Bradshaw Full review.

New York Times

A professionally executed farce of the yelling-family variety, “City Island” revolves around a blue-collar clan with more secrets than filters. At the head of the table is Vince (Andy Garcia), a stolid corrections officer and clandestine acting student; facing him is Joyce (Julianna Margulies), the wife who wonders where the passion has gone. Add a daughter (Mr. Garcia’s real-life daughter, Dominik Garcia-Lorido) who’s stripping instead of studying and a teenage son (Ezra Miller) who fantasizes about feeding doughnuts to fat women and you have a household that, even by current comedy standards, strains credulity. Full review.

NZ Herald (Francesca Rudkin)

A little drama, a little farce, a little humour, an easy film to enjoy and forget Full review.

Total Film (UK)

Andy Garcia keeps it in the family... Full review.