Mad City details
| Format: | 15 DVD |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Blythe D, Dustin Hoffman, Mia Kirshner, John Travolta, Alan Alda, Randall Batinkoff, Ted Levine, William Atherton, Blythe Danner, Larry King, Jay Leno, Robert Prosky |
| Director: | Costa Gavras |
| Genres: | Action/Adventure, Thriller |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
Mad City |
15 Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 50 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | 22 Apr 2002 |
| Main languages: | English |
| Dubbed: | French, Italian |
| Subtitles: | Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish |
| Hearing impaired subtitles: | English, Italian |
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Most helpful review
Important points to make, but ...
By JG Weston from Chelmsford, Essex , 04 Jul 2005[Highly rated reviewer]
I thought the story had potential and the actors performances were OK, up to a point. The way the media circus tramples over everything just to get some coverage was well made when Jenny Baily (Lucinda Jenney) shouted out at them to get out of her flower beds. However many other points should have been made and were not. For example the fact that it is the fickle public who thirst for just such trashy journalism that causes the media to act the way they do.
I am not sure if all the blame lies with the director or whether the story writer takes some too. To me there were too many subplots that threatened to take over the whole film. Sub plots should be just that, something to add substance and explanation to a film and not to dominate center stage for a lot of the time. I am not sure whether the over emphasis on the Brackett/Hollander rivalary was in the script or whether it was just the way that Costa-Gavras chose to portray it. Another thing I am not sure about was John Travolta's different characters, at times hamming it up with the kids, at times a frightened man out of his depth, at times an angry man ready to do anything. All these should be there, he is a mixed up person as his wife tells us, but I felt they should be better blended rather than three extreme sides to the character. I have seen John Travolta do better than this, so again I am inclined to think the director has to take some of the blame.
This may be OK as a film to get some of the important issues, that it tries to cover, in to the minds of a younger generation. I don't think it will do anything to put things right. The message is not made to those that need to hear it. A good opportunity missed, but OK for a wet afternoon with nothing else to do.- Was this review helpful to you?
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All reviews
(7)not one of Tavolta's or Hoffman's best
By cheesekake (1312 reviews) from uk , 31 May 2012this film was ok, but definitely wasn't one of travolta's best.
Hoffman also lacked in this film too, and he normally is a brilliant good actor- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
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Well, I enjoyed it.
By a customer from Surrey , 18 Aug 2009Seems I am presently in the minority of thinking this was quite a good film, about how the media manipulate, distort and destory in a very short time - but we knew that didn't we? Equally disturbing is how the public get sucked in and play to the media to get their little bit of fame regardless of consequences - but we knew this too? Hoffman was very good as the has been manipulative journalist seeing a big chance to claw his way back up to the top. I thought Travolta looked uncomfortable in his role as the simple yet unstable employee with a grudge. Hoffmans assistant characterised the grubby transformation from a bright eyed, naive, good intentioned rookie reporter to a manipulative, self promoting opportunist. Remaining cast was good to watch, Alda and Danner. Seems there are films purporting to portray this theme in a grittier more sophisticated way but it entertained me!- Was this review helpful to you?
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Dissapointing
By a customer from worcs , 13 Nov 2006The film had 2 big stars but it wasnt good at all.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Predictable
By John White from Ramsgate, Kent , 18 Oct 2005Even the magnificent Dustin Hoffman couldn't rescue this formulaic bilge. Why he took the gig, Gawd only knows? Travolta also tries his best, but, alas, you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.
Had it not been for DH, one star would have done for this predictable waste of time.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (1) Yes |
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Important points to make, but ...
By JG Weston from Chelmsford, Essex , 04 Jul 2005I thought the story had potential and the actors performances were OK, up to a point. The way the media circus tramples over everything just to get some coverage was well made when Jenny Baily (Lucinda Jenney) shouted out at them to get out of her flower beds. However many other points should have been made and were not. For example the fact that it is the fickle public who thirst for just such trashy journalism that causes the media to act the way they do.
I am not sure if all the blame lies with the director or whether the story writer takes some too. To me there were too many subplots that threatened to take over the whole film. Sub plots should be just that, something to add substance and explanation to a film and not to dominate center stage for a lot of the time. I am not sure whether the over emphasis on the Brackett/Hollander rivalary was in the script or whether it was just the way that Costa-Gavras chose to portray it. Another thing I am not sure about was John Travolta's different characters, at times hamming it up with the kids, at times a frightened man out of his depth, at times an angry man ready to do anything. All these should be there, he is a mixed up person as his wife tells us, but I felt they should be better blended rather than three extreme sides to the character. I have seen John Travolta do better than this, so again I am inclined to think the director has to take some of the blame.
This may be OK as a film to get some of the important issues, that it tries to cover, in to the minds of a younger generation. I don't think it will do anything to put things right. The message is not made to those that need to hear it. A good opportunity missed, but OK for a wet afternoon with nothing else to do.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (4) Yes |
- No (1)
