Night Falls on Manhattan (1996)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

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:

Attorney | District Attorney | Corruption | Justice | Lawyer

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:

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

Filming Locations:

Marietta, Georgia, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

There is a version of the film which features a more upbeat ending which was only shown to preview audiences. Director Sidney Lumet decided to end the film with a more downbeat ending.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'Lost World' (1997) (V)

Good movie that was based on The Larry Davis Story

This film is definitely based on the Larry Davis incident that took place in the late 80's where corrupt cops tried to shake down a drug dealer who wanted out of their "system"(dealers who payed off cops to rob other dealers). When he got out due to the death of his infant daughter, they invaded his home, he fought back by killing and wounding some officers and escaped leading to a dangerous manhunt in NYC. When they finally caught him (an old family relative snicthced on him), false accusations were brought up by the police and the media to portray him as a ruthless thug who ran away after killing the cops when all he wanted to do was leave the organization involving crooked cops and drug dealers. He is still serving time in Rikers Island fighting for a new trial.

Check out the documentary called THE LARRY DAVIS STORY which won an award for Best Documentary in the Urbanworld Film Festival in 2003.

However, it serves well on film and Sidney Lumet is great act capturing the look and feel of NYC in the early 90's. It has a "Prince of the City" feel to it.