Mad City

Name: Mad City
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Released: November 7, 1997
Duration: 115 min
Rating: 45
Cast: Alan Alda, Dustin Hoffman, John Travolta

1997

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Ratings

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6.3

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6.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Ratings

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Mad City

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: November 7, 1997 | PG-13

Starring: Alan Alda, Dustin Hoffman, John Travolta

Summary: A network television journalist is banished to a backwater station for bad behavior on the job. He meets a security guard who got laid off and the two form a bond of mutual need which changes the course of their lives forever. (Warner Bros.)

Director: Costa-Gavras

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 115 min

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Critic Reviews

Elvis Mitchell

But Mr. Costa-Gavras, a galvanizing filmmaker working with a splendid cast, is able to tell this story in style. Read full review

Dallas Observer Michael Sragow

Actually, that shift in moral perspective is the freshest thing in the movie--it keeps the action absorbing even when the script keeps hammering us with lessons about the commercial exploitation of the news and TV audiences' craziness and gullibility. Read full review

Jami Bernard

Unfortunately, Mad City merely pumps up the volume on material that has already been picked clean. [07Nov1997 Pg 74]

Emanuel Levy

In actuality, however, what unfolds onscreen is a simplistic and obvious expose about the manipulative power of the news media that by now is so familiar that its cynical perspective is not likely to upset or provoke anyone. Read full review

Rick Groen

And veteran director Costa-Gavras, whose early work ("Z", "State Of Siege", "Missing") proves that he's no stranger to sociopolitical complexities, might well have been the man to make it. But not from this script -- it starts off as puerile and then regresses. Read full review

Stephen Hunter

It's a movie of great dynamism and energy, but very little discipline. It probes issues but it never really thinks about them. It seems smart, but it's dumb. Read full review

Desson Thomson

Mad City is for those who haven't seen enough movies about hostage situations. It's also for those who haven't seen enough ponderous movies about media exploitation, or Dustin Hoffman's ongoing reliance on muttery method acting. Read full review

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User Reviews

MichaelL.

Jan 8, 2006

This is a very well realized and provacative film about the media's involvement in glorifying crime and criminals. Yes, we've heard this beef before, but rarely so articulately and balanced. The lines between good and bad, fair and unfair are masterfully blurred so the viewer is This is a very well realized and provacative film about the media's involvement in glorifying crime and criminals. Yes, we've heard this beef before, but rarely so articulately and balanced. The lines between good and bad, fair and unfair are masterfully blurred so the viewer is never quite sure whom to root for. I was moved, impressed, and challenged by this film, and applaud Costa Garvas, and his fine cast. Travolta is better than I've ever seen him, Hoffman is at his quirky best. Danner turns a cardboard character into a human being, and Alan Alda continues to do smarmy better than anyone! Ignore the critics--this is a first-rate film.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

DawdlingPoet

Nov 23, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I found this film to be very engrossing, pretty much from the start. It doesn't take long for the story to get going and I feel it tells an important story, focussing on the medias love of covering dramatic news stories as they happen. There's definitely a moral aspect to it - at first, the TV network employees at the studios are very hesitant about whats broadcast, once the hostage situation has been declared but it doesn't take too long for the usual media circus to close in around the museum and it becomes clear that the main concern is on how the TV network can cash in the most on this new developing story - the wellbeing of those at risk be darned. This is something that I feel is a symptom of this generation - 24/7 news channels focussing in on tragic news events, broadcasting footage to bring home the human side or the terrifying side of such events, at different times. I thought the plot was quite interesting and although its clearly not the only film about a hostage taking, the angle it takes is good and I'd go so far as to say its quite thought provoking. At times, it was hard to decide whether to be on Max's side or not, as his motives appear to change at different points in the plot. It was interesting to see how the public responded in defence of Sam Baily, once the situation had been broadcast or conveyed on TV. I certainly think that as a sort of regular joe, a working class underdog type character, he is quite easy to feel sorry for, at least in part. I felt that this film benefited from great performances, as mentioned previously. Some of the dialogue is quite telling, haunting even, as are key scenes, such as one when Sam's son recognises his father on TV and places his hand on the TV screen, exclaiming in excitement 'that's my father!' but obviously not realising the seriousness of the situation.

I found the musical score a bit too sentimental in one or two particular scenes, to the point of which it distracted me from the dialogue but otherwise, I barely noticed the score or soundtrack. I think if they re-worked the script and lessened the sentimentality somehow at key scenes, it could be better but its a pretty decent film for the most part anyway. Thinking about it, this could be a good film to analyse in a media studies course, or if your writing about the theme of the medias manipulation of (and involvement in) news events.

The ending I found to be quite shocking - very dramatic and unexpected. This really is a very tense and engrossing film, one with something of a chilling message behind it, that isn't perhaps as preachy as it maybe could have been and it (ie. the plot outcome) kept me guessing until the end, with an almost haunting aspect to it, so I felt anyway. I'm not sure I'd say its necessarily the best film either of the two main actors have ever appeared in - I haven't seen all of them to be able to make such a comment and there is something of a sentimentality aspect to it which I'd mark it down for, in terms of how its conveyed but otherwise, I'd say its a very good film.

Yes, I'd gladly recommend this film, as I found it to be engrossing, tense and dramatic, plus I feel it covers an important issue, in terms of the medias obsession with news coverage and getting exclusives. The acting is decent and although I felt it was slightly spoilt by a perhaps somewhat formulaic and unnecessarily cheesy, 'Hollywood' sentimentality aspect at a certain point, its for the most part a decent film.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Libation70

Aug 5, 2021

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2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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