[19] On August 29, 2018, another lawsuit was filed by Bank Leumi for owed millions of unpaid guarantees caused by pulling the film from release.[20]. He had a number of theories, one in particular he believed was the real truth. If you're in doubt about this one, I say pass. [4] On September 19, Open Road Films acquired the film's US distribution rights, and would co-finance the film along with Miramax, while Good Universe would handle the film's international sales. 's 46th birthday. [8][9] On January 6, 2017, Amin Joseph joined the film to play police officer Kevin Gaines, and on January 18, Laurence Mason to play an FBI agent, Dunton. Based on a true story, City of Lies reveals its plot through two main timelines. A mid budget crime/cop drama at the cinema - HECK YES. Johnny Depp Forest Whitaker Toby Huss Dayton Callie Neil Brown Jr. Shea Whigham Xander Berkeley Melanie Benz Shamier Anderson Laurence Mason Christian George Michael Paré Amin Joseph Josh Hardwick Glenn Plummer Antonio Raul Corbo, 112 mins This film is based on a true story, looking at the real life of detective Russell Poole. What both men find is a conspiracy, that reaches all…. The cast smells of a made for tv movie, and I struggle to see what a director like Brad Furman actually brings to the table. This excludes any short films, TV shows, uncredited appearances, or appearances as himself. So, I’m conflicted. Although it misses a few more details on the incident, it is definitely a well done film. Mainly because it is. [6][5] On November 17, Neil Brown Jr. was cast in the film to play police officer Rafael Pérez. The film was released on Blu-ray in Italy on June 19, 2019. i was expecting much more about this film and i didn't really like how it ended. Constant reguguating conjecture with no evidence to prove. [13] On September 7, 2016, Johnny Depp was reportedly cast in the film to play Poole, the Los Angeles police detective who investigated the murders of the rappers. It is based on the book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan, about the murder investigations of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. Made by fans in Auckland, New Zealand. Just pressing some buttons. Forest Whitaker does feel quite sidelined here. A definitive list of the more than 400 Black Lists scripts produced to date. dunno how much of this is “true” but i did find large parts of it very compelling. « every society gets the kind criminal is deserve and every community gets the kind of Law-enforcement is it insist on . The two strike a bond, when Jackson is tasked with interviewing Poole for a retrospective on Notorious B.I.G. TMDb Johnny Depo and Forest Whitaker are wasted in their respective roles. The film stars Johnny Depp as retired detective LAPD Russell Poole and Forest Whitaker as a journalist Jackson, with Rockmond Dunbar and Neil Brown Jr. also starring. The big driving force here is Depp, who is the heart and soul of the film and definitely boosts the overall quality. Poor Forest Whitaker is especially victmised by this, as his whole character is a complete mess.I happen to find the whole Biggie/Tupac/Suge thing kinda interesting, but to others this must feel so boring to sit through, as they base the whole "conspiracy" on big ifs. Don’t know how you make a thriller about the murders of Tupac and Biggie this boring. Los Angeles Police Department detective Russell Poole has spent years trying to solve his biggest case -- the murders of The Notorious B.I.G. This film is really for those who were fans of notorious Big and Tupac. on a personal note: shea in this movie is hands down the least attractive he has ever been to me. Weirdly this might be Depp's most effective and restrained performance in a decade or maybe even more. Report this film. An interesting true story well told. — 2020 | 2021 | 2022+ — Listed in three…, All Johnny Depp movies ranked. Synopsis The only thing more notorious than the crime was the cover up. Film di chiusura fuori concorso", "[Noir in Festival] Recensione di City of lies - L'ora della verità, con Johnny Depp", "City of Lies - L'Ora Della Verità Blu-ray", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=City_of_Lies&oldid=968511949, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Robert Henley Starr as EMT Robert McGinnis, This page was last edited on 19 July 2020, at 21:04. This one really went below the media radar. And it was great. Half procedural, half conspiracy, both parts equally boring. betwixtstarproductions.blogspot.com/2020/10/city-of-lies-2020-movie-review.html, Unmade Films That Would've Been Interesting To See, just so we're clear, this is every movie that Harvey Weinstein produced, distributed, or made cuts to, Random Movies Collected With No Point Whatsoever. With the movie cutting back and forth between the past and the present, it does come across as a bit disjointed at times, though it largely manages to keep focused. The film centres on detective Russell Poole (played by Johnny Depp), who for twenty years tried to find the man responsible. Russell Poole and Jack Jackson investigate the murders of rappers Notorious B.I.G. [16][17] However, in August 2018, the film was pulled from the schedule reportedly due to an ongoing lawsuit involving Depp and the film's location manager; no replacement date was announced. In search of the truth, the two team up and unravel a growing web of institutional corruption and lies. Directed by Brad Furman. As glorified magazine articles go you could do worse. I thought this was quite good! [7] Xander Berkeley, Shea Whigham, Wynn Everett, and Toby Huss were cast in the film on December 13, while two days later Louis Herthum and Shamier Anderson also joined the film, with Herthum playing a city attorney who defends Poole on trial and Anderson playing corrupt LAPD officer David "D. Mack" Mack. Mobile site. always nice to see something so insistent that journalism must be independent in order to hold our institutions accountable, and that the only good cop is a cop who quits. and Tupac Shakur. While I was interested in the story, it was Johnny who kept me entertained above anything else. [23], "Open Road Acquires Johnny Depp Crime Thriller 'Labyrinth, "Johnny Depp to Star in Notorious B.I.G.-Tupac Thriller 'Labyrinth, "Forest Whitaker Joins Johnny Depp In Tupac/Notorious BIG Murder Drama 'LAbyrinth, "Rockmond Dunbar Joins Biggie-Tupac Thriller 'LAbyrinth'; Richard Robichaux Cast In 'Ocean's Eight' & 'Last Flag Flying, "Louis Herthum & Shamier Anderson Cast In 'LAbyrinth. The film stars Johnny Depp as retired detective LAPD Russell Poole and Forest Whitaker as a journalist Jackson, with Rockmond Dunbar and Neil Brown Jr. also starring. It is based on the book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan, about the murder investigations of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. Non traditional narrative, interesting true story, great cast, moustaches and trench coats, pinned evidence, corrupt cops, I need more of these made. City of Lies is a 2018 American crime film directed by Brad Furman and written by Christian Contreras. Fiction and non-fiction, no comics/graphic novels. Los Angeles Police Department detective Russell Poole has spent years trying to solve his biggest case -- the murders of The Notorious B.I.G. I don’t get the average reviews here. It looks at a compelling argument of who was actually responsible for Christopher (notorious B.I.G) Wallace's death. Dates and details in notes. © Letterboxd Limited. The first trailer for the film, originally titled LAbyrinth, was released on May 21, 2018, which would have been The Notorious B.I.G. Quite boring, the script is weak. Surprisingly did enjoy and was entertained; unfortunately did also fall asleep on the ending. "Amin Joseph Cast In 'LAbyrinth'; Shioli Kutsuna Joins Indie Film 'Oh Lucy! Johnny Depp actually tries here, but it is painfully obvious that this thing is written by two guys who've basically never written a script before. Reminded me a lot of Oliver Stone's JFK. A reporter (based on journalist Randall Sullivan's collaboration with Russell Poole[2]), "Jack" Jackson, teams up with Poole after nearly two decades to find out the truth. I actually stumbled upon it while on the Johnny Depp's IMDB itinerary. Directed by Brad Furman. [3], On November 11, 2016, Rockmond Dunbar was cast in the film to play Dreadlocks, while on November 16, Forest Whitaker also joined the film to play the journalist who teams up with the police officer to uncover the truth. The film tells the story of former LAPD detective, Russell Poole (Johnny Depp), who in 1997 is working the homicide investigations of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. It ends up with a focus on character too because, technically the case is unsolved which doesn't make for a very satisfying ending. [4] Brad Furman was announced to be directing the film from a script adapted by Christian Contreras. City of Lies. Film data from TMDb. However, in Italy City of Lies received its premiere when it was screened, out of competition, at the Noir in Festival as the closing film of the event[21][22] before receiving a limited release on January 10, 2019. This film also partially criticizes Russell Poole, the lead detective in the Biggie murder investigation, yet the murder cases of Biggie and Tupac have not been solved by the police, and no theory has led to any arrests. Originally set to be released on September 7, 2018 by Global Road Entertainment, it was pulled from the schedule in August 2018; no new date has been announced, but it was screened out of competition at the Noir in Festival on December 8, 2018 and later received a limited release in Italy on January 10, 2019. :^), Films where cast/crew have resorted to some sort of abuse (verbal, emotional, physical) with a member of the cast/crew, especially…. Half police procedural and half journalist investigation that gets into some pretty big conspiracy territory but all based on the true story. and Tupac Shakur -- but after two decades, the investigation remains open. It's like if David Fincher's Zodiac was written by someone who had never written a feature film before. The Black List connects screenwriters, filmmakers…, Agent 69 Jensen in the Sign of Sagittarius (1978) Asparagus (2007) Bat Pussy (1973) Bathman dal pianeta…, ROI/UK releases due in 2020. Especially if you're into the type of schlock Depp's been in lately. There were some pretty glaring focus issues I don't think they got away with but on the whole it was an interesting watch, I liked the scenes set in the 90s had a 70's colour grade look. in case you had any doubts over how much power this scumbag wielded. and Tupac Shakur -- but after two decades, the investigation remains open. This ain't it. 2018 This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Jack Jackson, a reporter desperate to save his reputation and career, is determined to find out why. [18], On August 23, 2018, reports surfaced that Depp's legal trouble was used as a scapegoat, and the film in fact may be being suppressed by the Los Angeles Police Department, who is implicated in the film, or other various players who do not want the film released. The most curious thing about this is centering such a thing throughout Depp's most monotonous of determined cops. This is a rarity these days. *HAVE NOT…, Crawlspace Dweller Matt [♥] 830 films 39 9 Edit, Don't mind me. [14] Principal photography wrapped in May 2017. Principal photography on the film began on December 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. »..Both of them played well nothing else to say about johnny’s acting he always fit the role and Forest with the journalist character he just great and the movie scripted very very well . Something about the 70's look that brings to mind cop dramas and distrust of authority figures. The modified rap music is out of place; only because it is about rap, that doesn't mean that such music, specifically distorted rap music, needs to be included. And journalist Jack Jackson (played by forrest Whitaker). 2018 Directed by Brad Furman. Brad Furman’s City Of Lies is your usual conspiracy theory baiting drama on the killings of Christopher Wallace and Tupac Shakur. [10][11] On January 23, 2017, newcomer Joseph Ferrante joined the film for an unspecified role.[12]. He’s on screen a lot but never really seems to have anything to…. [3], On February 4, 2013, it was reported that Miriam Segal's British production company Good Films had bought the film rights to Randall Sullivan's non-fiction book LAbyrinth, about the police corruption in Los Angeles involving the Russell Poole investigation of the unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. With Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, Toby Huss, Dayton Callie. [15] Following the merger between Open Road Films and IM Global to form Global Road Entertainment, the film was retitled City of Lies and given a release date of September 7, 2018, 22 years after the Tupac Shakur Las Vegas shooting. "Netflix's 'Come Sunday' Adds Stacey Sargeant; Joseph Ferrante Cast In 'LAbyrinth, "U.K.'s Good Films Buys Rights to L.A. Cop Corruption Novel 'LAbyrinth, "First Look at Johnny Depp and His Mustache in LAbyrinth", "New trailer for Johnny Depp/Forest Whitaker murder mystery City of Lies now online", "Johnny Depp's 'City of Lies' Acquired for China", "Johnny Depp is investigating 2pac and Biggie's murder in this new trailer for City of Lies", "Johnny Depp's 'City Of Lies' Movie Pulled From Release Schedule", "Inside the Shocking Death of Johnny Depp's Biggie-Murder Movie 'City of Lies, "Global Road, Miramax Sued by Bank Over Refusal to Release 'City of Lies, "CITY OF LIES - L'ORA DELLA VERITÀ. Depp isn't half bad with an actual physical human presence, although the colour grading and make-up are weak throughout. Some characters are extremely unlikable. Full review: betwixtstarproductions.blogspot.com/2020/10/city-of-lies-2020-movie-review.html. More details at City of Lies is a 2018 American crime film directed by Brad Furman and written by Christian Contreras. IMDb The casting was sensational and the surprise cameo near the end of the film left me speechless. Depp and Whitaker are great and the story is obviously very interesting, but I feel you'd be much better off watching a documentary or reading a book on the subject of Biggie and Tupac if you're interested. "It was all a dream... Johnny Depp is absolutely terrific a film which is never boring, but also quite by the numbers.