CITY ISLAND

US, 2009, 104 minutes, Colour.
Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Steven Strait, Dominik Garcia- Lorido, Ezra Miller, Emily Mortimer, Alan Arkin.
Directed by Raymond De Felitta.

More interesting and enjoyable than might have been anticipated.

City Island is a neighbourhood of the Bronx, New York, that is quite different from the familiar Manhattan of the movies (whose skyline is seen only in the distance in this film). There are long traditions for the families of City Island, especially the fishing families that migrated from Italy. This is a story of one of those families.

Vince Rizzo is played very well by Andy Garcia. He is a correctional officer (which people then say is a prison guard). But, he has a secret from his wife of 20 years, Joyce (Julianna Margulies). It is not another woman. He longs to be an actor and is taking a course. There he meets Molly (Emily Mortimer) who encourages him and urges him to go to an audition for a Scorsese movie. There is a bonus in Alan Arkin playing the drama teacher – who is later seen in the long line for the audition. Vince has two children, Vivian at college and the younger Vince at school. All of them have secrets from one another.

This comes to a head when Vince decides to supervise one of his prisoners, Tony (Steven Strait), in building a bathhouse at his home. In the event, it is Tony and Molly who do know the actual secrets and become catalysts for the revelations and the possible reuniting of the family.

There is plenty of drama of the loud variety because these Italo- Americans are not shy in revealing their feelings and shouting at each other and trying to shout down each other.

Well-acted, with some unpredictable secrets, except for Joyce who has been feeling neglected and is suspicious of Vince’s going out to poker games (really his acting classes), there is, nevertheless, a welcome humanity underlying these characters and their interactions which makes the film a small but acceptable, even likeable, New York drama.

1. A piece of Americana, a piece of New York? Both serious and comic?

2. The atmosphere of City Island, the Bronx, the George Washington Bridge, the water, the suburbs and homes? The contrast with familiar New York – and the distant skyline?

3. Italian-American? families, their style, loud, the fishing background, strangers and interlopers? The musical score? The Italian tone?

4. Vince and his voice-over, his perspective on City Island, the new and the old, families, his family and ancestors, his own journey?

5. Secrets and lies, each character having their secret? Tony knowing all the secrets? Molly knowing them? Molly as the catalyst for revelation?

6. Vince and his work in corrections, the prisons, the encounter with Tony, the fellow officers, the details of work? At home, married to Joyce for twenty years, the cooling of intimacy, keeping secrets, from the past and the present? Vivian and her study, her secret in stripping to make money? The younger Vince, the teenager, surly, his webcam and his fat neighbour, the secret about food? Their manners, shouting at the table, dysfunction?

7. The story of the poker game, Joyce’s suspicions, Vince going to acting class, reading books about Brando, the teacher and his style, the performances, the commentary on pauses as false acting? Putting the students in pairs, to reveal secrets and tell the story? Molly and Vince? Going out, talking at the bar, Vince revealing himself, the truth about Tony? Molly and her fake story about her background? The audition note, helping him with hints? Vince applying for the audition?

8. Molly, agreeable, her stories, helping Vince, the truth about her own family and her mother, deserting her own children? Joyce and the phone call because of the card, Molly urging Vince to confront his wife and tell the truth? The story of her being his manager? Going home, tension, Joyce being home and overhearing? Her observing the truth-telling, walking away, getting the bus home?

9. Vince and Tony, the secret, Vince getting permission to take him home, to build the bath-house, the handcuffs? The conditions? The family and their not knowing the truth? The upset at the meal? Tony and his hard work? Shirt off? Joyce interested? Vivian? Their going out, the possible sexual encounter, Tony drawing back? Joyce talking about passion? Tony finding the card, finding Vivian at the club, their clash, taking her home?

10. Joyce and her life, drab, work, neglect? Tony and discovering passion? Her anger at Molly, suspicions of Vince?

11. Vivian, stripping, losing her scholarship, work, pay? Going home, at the beach, going back to work, Tony finding her?

12. The younger Vince, in his room, his equipment? Sent from the table to his room? Going to school, the fat girl, thinking he had insulted her? Seeing Denise, watching her online, the codeword – and Tony shouting it, Denise discovering him? Offering for him to go shopping, his accompanying her, seeing the fat girl? His obsession to make women happy? The cooking the meals?

13. Vince going to the audition, the long line, seeing his drama teacher there – rejected? The audition, doing a Brando imitation? Urged to be himself, talking into the camera? His being on a roll – and using all of the performance that Tony had done for him the day before? His being invited back, Molly and her excitement?

14. The final screams, accusations, everybody telling the truth, the response?

15. Family, Vince getting the role for the film, Joyce at the set? The family joined together in a meal – with hope?