City Hall

Directed by Harold Becker, City Hall details the scandal that ensues after a young boy is accidentally killed in a gunfight. Filmmaker Becker, working from Ken Lipper, Paul Schrader, Nicholas Pileggi, and Bo Goldman’s script, delivers a mostly watchable yet distressingly forgettable drama that never becomes as energizing or electrifying as one might’ve anticipated, which is a shame, ultimately, given that the movie does possess a whole host of appealing, attention-grabbing attributes – including (and especially) a magnetic and completely hypnotic performance by Al Pacino as the fiery mayor of New York City. (The picture’s highlight is undoubtedly a riveting sequence wherein Pacino’s temperamental figure serves up an impassioned speech at the aforementioned boy’s funeral.) The movie’s arms-length atmosphere is perpetuated by a convoluted plot that is, for the most part, almost impossible to comfortably penetrate, and it’s clear, too, that the ongoing emphasis on the behind-the-scenes nitty-gritty of NYC politics contributes to the far-from-enthralling vibe.By the time the rather anticlimactic finale rolls around, City Hall has cemented its place as a decent-enough endeavor that often feels like it should be much, much better.

**1/2 out of ****