City of Industry (1997)

There are so many inaccurate references to "film noir" from reviewers that I'm prompted to write this review simply to correct them. Though this film has some "film noir" elements, the essential elements are completely missing. The best film noir features an "innocent" person who gets dragged into crime. Usually it's as a result of a knowingly bad decision, but it comes from the seduction of a femme fatale.Both these elements are missing. The main character (played marvelously by Harvey Keitel) is a lifelong criminal. There's nothing "innocent" about him. Nor is there any femme fatale who double or triple crosses him or who seduces him into the misadventure.The film not only lacks the essential hero (or anti-hero) and femme fatale, it lacks the visual style of most film noir.Finally, the film lacks the requisite ending to ever be classified as film noir.Of course there are some film noir elements. It takes place in an urban center (LA) and dwells in the less upscale parts of town. A lot of the action takes place at night. At the core of the film is a double cross (though it isn't the femme fatale and there are no triple crosses) and we get introduced to a motley crew of seedy low lifes. There's a good bit of violence, but truth be told, most classic film noir are not nearly as violent as this film.It's probably best to view this as a "revenge" film, or more accurately a crime revenge drama.

Harvey Keitel comes to play, delivering a fully-formed and convincing portrait of a professional criminal who wants revenge--and the loot that's been stolen from him.Violent and cynical, City of Industry is everything a crime film should be: gut wrenching, powerful and intensely gripping.solid performances in Backbeat and Blood and Wine behind him, Dorff expands his range with a convincing portrayal of youthful amorality. City of Industry is, of course dominated by Keitel, the god head of indie crime films. Working with limited dialogue, he plumbs each gesture for everything that it's worth. Like his bad lieutenant and Mr. White, Roy is another classic creation.. Here is a film noir thriller that plunges the viewer in the dark underbelly of urban Los Angeles, City of Industry is a well crafted work that uses the city in question in a way rarely seen on film, aided by some sharply realised camera-work, that allows the viewer to be drawn on the journey faced by Roy. Keitel excels in playing these seemingly dark, complex souls and manages to give a polished, understated performance as a seemingly cold but deeply human killer to whom we are strangely drawn. Though he' killed off, Timothy Hutton is superb as the unfortunate younger brother, while the always vivid Stephen Dorff gives an urgent, energetic performance as the psychotic Skip. As the sole female of any note, former Bond beauty Famke Janssen is haunting as Rachel. Director Irvin creates mood and tension through use of camera-work and evocative lighting, and though the film is by no means flawless, especially in its relentless violence, it's nonetheless an arresting and fascinating cinematic journey."Keitel is riveting. Stephen Dorff is outstanding as Skip, charming yet ready to blow at any time, while Timothy Hutton is gripping as Lee. These characters drive this thriller, set in a gritty, ruthless Los Angeles. This is a film of contrasts and extremes that heads towards a new beginning; uncompromising, thrilling and engrossing entertainment."

this was a fairly entertaining crime drama.it moved at a quick pace and it wasn't boring.i liked the fact that it didn't feel as depressing as many movies of the genre.it's still dark and gritty,just not oppressive.it pretty much follows the standard formula.betrayal,leading to revenge ending in bloodshed,usually death.it's all pretty predictable,and there a few illogical moments.still,it is entertaining for what it is.what elevates this material though, is Harvey Keitel,who makes just about any film he's in better than it otherwise might have been.Stephen Dorff,Timothy Hutton,Famke Janssen,Michael Jai White,and Wade Dominguez co star.and Lucy Liu also has a small role.recommended as long as you know what you're in for.it doesn't break any new ground,but it doesn't completely butcher the genre either.for me,City of Industry is a 6.5/10

Thief Harvey Keitel comes to Southern California to join his younger brother, Timothy Hutton, and a nice Latino (Wade Dominguez) and a driver (Stephen Dorff), to pull off a diamond heist at one of those high-end stores that line the main drag in Palm Springs. They are successful. As they are about to divvy up the loot, Dorff kills Hutton and Dominguez. He tries to kill Keitel too, but botches it, which is what you might call a bad mistake.Dorff takes off with all the loot and the rest of the movie has Keitel tracking him down, at the cost of a lot of money and an infinity of pain. At the end, having dispatched Dorff, the wounded and bleeding Keitel sees to it that Dominguez' widow (Famke Janssen) gets most of the money from the job. Keitel disappears, perhaps dying, and Janssen retires with her two kids to Port Arthur, Texas. End of story.A lot of this is familiar territory by now and has been done better elsewhere -- "Heat", for instance, or "Straight Time." But it's not badly done, despite the rather weak script. It's always interesting to see the underside of L.A. The Chinese sweat shops, the bars where the black guys hang out, everybody in shades, dilapidated single-family homes with their front yards littered with trash and children's toys, Lucy Liu doing a pole dance, San Pedro's cracking plants, dusty and mostly empty motels with propane gas tanks ready to explode at the hint of a stray bullet, careering cars knocking down utility poles and emitting showers of fake sparks, sleazy flowered shirts that scream out "Dollar Store", hotels with dark apartments where you wouldn't want to live unless you like junkies for neighbors.The director handles his background people with effortless aplomb. After he shoots two of his accomplices, Dorff chases Keitel through a louche trailer park, firing wildly. When he loses his quarry, Dorff looks angrily around. When the bullets started flying, the rednecks and their dogs scramble over fences to get out of the way, only to appear at their doorways seconds later. One fat guy in a cowboy hat cocks his shotgun, and another has a pistol at his side. It's amusing. You feel that these guys have been around such situations before. But the director has kept them in long shot and doesn't make a big to-do out of the point. Nice touch.In another scene, Keitel is beating the crap out of the bartender in an empty saloon. Two Latinos walk through the door, take a quick look at what's going on, and back out again.If there's not much new in the revenge plot, the details of life in this particular social world are pretty nicely captured. Well, I must say that the villain of the piece, Dorff, is thoroughly stereotyped. There's nothing "good" about him. He's a young, cocky, ruthless showoff. He plays raunchy music loud in his convertible. He shoots through his own girlfriend's chest in order to plug the guy holding her from behind, and shows not a wit of remorse. The director allows Dorff to commit a fundamental error. As in "Platoon," every time the F word is used, it is shouted emphatically. "And bring the EFFING money!" That's not how the F word is used. If anything is stressed in an utterance, it's the noun, not the adjective. Bonus point: Harvey Keitel has an opportunity to howl with anger and smash some furniture.Not a memorable movie, but one worth watching for diversion.