Night Falls on Manhattan (1997)

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers (WGA):

Robert Daley (novel)
Sidney Lumet (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 May 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

In a city of nine million people is there room for one honest man?

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

New York City | Neo Noir | Corrupt Cop | Corruption | Court Trial

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Andy Garcia	...	Sean Casey
Ian Holm	...	Liam Casey
James Gandolfini	...	Joey Allegretto
Lena Olin	...	Peggy Lindstrom
Shiek Mahmud-Bey	...	Jordan Washington
Colm Feore	...	Elihu Harrison
Ron Leibman	...	Morgenstern
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Sam Vigoda
Dominic Chianese	...	Judge Impelliteri
Paul Guilfoyle	...	McGovern
Bonnie Rose	...	Instructor
Norman Matlock	...	Detective
Sidney Armus	...	Judge
James Murtaugh	...	Man in Asylum (as Jim Murtaugh)
Melba Martinez	...	Legal Aid Attorney

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

114 min | USA:118 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Philippines:PG-13 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Iceland:14 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Marietta, Georgia, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

This movie is loosely based on the real-life case of Larry Davis, a drug dealer who shot three cops but was acquitted (with William Kunstler as his lawyer) after charging that the police were trying to kill him because they were involved in the drug trade. The Manhattan district attorney, Robert Morgenthau, was also nicknamed "Morgy".

Movie Connections:

References "Geraldo" (1987)

Sydney Lumet looks into honesty and corruption again.

The theme of corruption is examined in almost every Sydney Lumet film. He is fascinated by power and the use and misuse of it. The cast of this character-driven film is played to perfection by Andy Garcia, James Gandolfini, Lena Olin, Shiek Mahmud-Bey, Ian Holm, Ron Leibman, Richard Dreyfuss, Sam Vigoda and Paul Guilfoyle. They are all in the same gut-wrenching movie about the prosecutors who do not operate in a black-and-white world, rather in one of shades of gray. There are two especially touching relationships. One is between a father and son, the other is the love story between Andy Garcia and Lena Olin that survives this very tense and complex situation in a film about an important subject. I recommend it.