Russell Crowe has donned a fedora and trench coat to join Mark Wahlberg in Broken City. Which I can only assume is set in New York City in August—that wonderful time of year when the city is empty except for tourists and you can’t take the subway two stops without a route change. Actually, the film is set to be a neo-Noir, in which private eye Wahlberg is hired by the Mayor (Crowe) of the titular city to investigate if his wife is having an affair. As is often the case in noir films, nothing is as it appears and Wahlberg will find himself drawn deeper into a world of crime and corruption. Also, there will probably be venetian blinds.
Broken City is directed by Allen Hughes of the Hughes Brothers, who have directed From Hell, Menace II Society, and The Book Of Eli together. Not quite the Coen Bros, but not a bad filmography. And, this is the man who was smart enough to abandon the American Akira remake. So he must have some sense.
This isn’t Crowe’s first foray into neo-Noir- the Oscar winner had his first major Hollywood role in 1997’s L.A. Confidential. While that film had Crowe on the side on justice (manly, grizzled justice), Broken City should see Crowe taking a more villainous role. Crowe can be seen next in The Man With The Iron Fists, and is rumored to make an appearance in Zack Snyder’s new Superman film as Jor-El.
Broken City should hit theaters in 2014. Hopefully Hughes will be able to cast Guy Pierce in the film as well, so that I can pretend that it’s actually a sequel to L.A. Confidential.
Source: Deadline
