Manhattan Nights has that feeling of classic film noir from the start. Substituting a modern day investigative reporter for the private eye is a fit. It fairly quickly turns into a disturbing darkness - as in somewhat uncomfortable to watch. Nothing really tells the viewer where this might go and it piles on quite a bit of weirdness thanks to the intersection of our reporter, Brody, with a femme fatale widow who knows how to use her looks for manipulation. It becomes a downward spiral for the reporter who, though you "might" want him to end up OK he's thoroughly maddening.
Gobs of mystery is piled on without a clear idea of what's going on. This is a good hook because like watching a blurry image you believe it will, eventually, come into focus. For this viewer it's the last quarter of the movie that feels too hard to believe making that final clarity hollow.
Maybe a couple that was super strange could pull down a wealthy tycoon and an egotistical writer? The problem, as I see it, is not nearly believable enough in the final analysis for the genre.
By the other reviews here I think there's a good number of folks that do not share my opinion. That's probably good since I'm not claiming to be right. It's just one person's take. Not having read the book I didn't know what to expect anyway. Actually I thought it had good acting and cinematography which held promise, I just couldn't buy into the story when it was finally revealed. The story (writing),therefore for me, ended up being the let down.
In the final analysis you may also feel manipulated as a viewer, or not?
Manhattan Night
2016
Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Manhattan Night
2016
Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Plot summary
Based on Colin Harrison's acclaimed novel Manhattan Nocturne (a New York Times Notable Book of the Year),MANHATTAN NIGHT tells the story of Porter Wren (Adrien Brody),a New York City tabloid writer with an appetite for scandal. On the beat he sells murder, tragedy and anything that passes for the truth. At home he is a model family man, devoted to his loving wife (Jennifer Beals). But when a seductive stranger (Yvonne Strahovski) asks him to dig into the unsolved murder of her filmmaker husband Simon (Campbell Scott),he can't resist. In this modern version of a classic film noir, we follow Porter as he is drawn into a very nasty case of sexual obsession and blackmail - one that threatens his job, his marriage, and his life. MANHATTAN NIGHT will be released by Lionsgate Premiere in theaters and On Demand May 20, 2016. Lionsgate Premiere, Grindstone Entertainment Group and 13 Films present in association with Sparkle Roll Media Corporation and Big Indie Pictures a production of Fable House, Untravelled Worlds and DeCubellis Films.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
Fell Apart After Keeping Me Watching
neo-noir wannabe
Crime reporter Porter Wren (Adrien Brody) is married to doctor Lisa (Jennifer Beals) with two kids. He attends a party thrown by publishing tycoon Hobbs where he is enticed by Caroline Crowley (Yvonne Strahovski). Her dead filmmaker husband Simon (Campbell Scott) was found buried under some rubble. She recruits him into investigating his death while they have a fling. He gets pulled into a search for Simon's lost videos that he often takes secretly.
This is trying to be a neo-noir. It has the murder mystery, the femme fatale, and the protagonist narration. It doesn't have all the stylistic markers. The shakey indie style camera moves clash with the needed clean cut neo-noir style. Normally, they play hard with shadows and crisp contrast. Brody is fine as the compromised antagonist. Strahovski has the beauty but her darkness lacks edge. There's not much to the plot. Obviously, the horse story should be much more profound. It should be hinted at every other moment. It should be connected more directly to the present day story. It may help to have her stepfather still involved. Almost everything needs a bit of an upgrade other than Brody.
Sleepless in Manhattan
A different kind of love story. If you want to call this one a love story, because it's obviously more of mystery thriller with a bit of detective work thrown in, almost by accident - which is apt if you think about the breakout case and also the inciting incident. Brody may have been in the Pianist and other movies that can be described to have a higher quality, but he also did one with Argento when he lost his touch.
So while this isn't really top notch, it does what it says on the cover. Is that enough for you to watch? Can you feel the temptation and the sparks between the blonde Femme Fatale (you may have seen her prominently in a TV show) and Brody's character? And should he listen to his heart or rather ... I mean Jennifer Beals is waiting at home for him. You can see certain things a mile away, but certain things may just be revealed as the movie flows along. Decent enough