Manhattan Night (2016) User Reviews

gritty, bizarre neo-noir

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 24 October 2017]

Producer-director Brian DeCubellis had done some TV movies and short films before this bigger directorial effort, the neo-noir Manhattan Nights, from 2016. He certainly has talent.

The film stars Adrien Brody as Porter Wren, a columnist for a New York newspaper. His wife (Jennifer Beals) is a surgeon, so they are able to have a darling house that is hidden down an alley in Manhattan - something like Patchin Place in the west village.

When his newspaper is taken over by a Rupert Murdock type (Steven Berkoff), Porter reluctantly attends a party for him. There he meets the beautiful Caroline (Yvonne Strahovski) whose husband, well-known director Simon Crowley (Campbell Scott) was found dead, buried under the rubble of an imploded building, surrounded by pieces of jade. The two wind up having an affair.

It seems Simon was a complete weirdo with an interesting hobby of recording "honest moments" on video cards. Caroline takes Porter to a safety deposit box with dozens of them. She invites him to watch them. But it turns out one of those honest moments is being used to blackmail someone, and the person being blackmailed wants it and begins to terrorize Porter to find it. This leads to Porter uncovering secrets about Simon, Caroline, and person being blackmailed, and learning something about himself.

The film is based on an novel called Manhattan Nocturne. I suppose the name was changed because the filmmakers thought not enough people would know what a nocturne is. That's sad. The story is good but unsavory, and, frankly, so are the characters. And it has the usual female nudity.

The acting is very good, particularly from Brody and Strahovski - she is gorgeous and reminds me of Sharon Stone when she was younger. Brody has had a so-so career since winning the Oscar. This was a good role for him. Linda Lavin has a cameo, and she's excellent.

Overall I can't say I was crazy about "Manhattan Night." It was well done but unpleasant.

Dark & Erotic Noir Falls Short

[larrys3 · 5/10 · 30 August 2016]

This very dark and erotic noir just contained too many incredulous and far-fetched plot elements for my liking. There seemed to be a better movie lurking within this one that never really came together and emerged.

Adrien Brody is fine as Porter Wren, the poker-faced investigative reporter and columnist for a daily New York City newspaper. When he's unable to resist the seductive advances of the gorgeous Caroline Crowley, portrayed by Yvonne Strahovski, Porter will find himself being led down a path of dark and demented secrets that will cost him dearly.

All in all, this movie, written and directed by Brian DeCubellis, based on a novel by Colin Harrison, had enough intrigue to keep me interested for the most part, but it seemed to fall apart as it progressed, with the filmmaker choosing shock value over plot elements that might have enhanced the story.

Fell Apart After Keeping Me Watching

[AudioFileZ · 6/10 · 27 May 2016]

Manhattan Nights has that feeling of classic film noir from the start. Substituting a modern day investigative reporter for the private eye is a fit. It fairly quickly turns into a disturbing darkness - as in somewhat uncomfortable to watch. Nothing really tells the viewer where this might go and it piles on quite a bit of weirdness thanks to the intersection of our reporter, Brody, with a femme fatale widow who knows how to use her looks for manipulation. It becomes a downward spiral for the reporter who, though you "might" want him to end up OK he's thoroughly maddening.

Gobs of mystery is piled on without a clear idea of what's going on. This is a good hook because like watching a blurry image you believe it will, eventually, come into focus. For this viewer it's the last quarter of the movie that feels too hard to believe making that final clarity hollow.

Maybe a couple that was super strange could pull down a wealthy tycoon and an egotistical writer? The problem, as I see it, is not nearly believable enough in the final analysis for the genre.

By the other reviews here I think there's a good number of folks that do not share my opinion. That's probably good since I'm not claiming to be right. It's just one person's take. Not having read the book I didn't know what to expect anyway. Actually I thought it had good acting and cinematography which held promise, I just couldn't buy into the story when it was finally revealed. The story (writing), therefore for me, ended up being the let down.

In the final analysis you may also feel manipulated as a viewer, or not?

Enjoyable drama mystery

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 10 April 2017]

Film Noir like I like them. Even though there is not much action the movie is enjoyable to watch. It's all filmed at a slow pace, also with the calm narrating voice, but that's what this movie needs. It's a mystery drama that starts slow but once you're into the story it all gets better. The strange relationship between husband and wife Caroline and Simon Crowley played by Yvonne Strahovski and Campbell Scott is not the average day-to-day relationship and this is what makes the movie interesting. Add on that that Yvonne Strahovski is a candy for the eye. Adrien Brody plays like most of his roles, never flamboyant but always performing good. His character this time is also a very calm person that just tries to figure out some mysteries and solve some problems. But don't expect much action because there is hardly any, and the story doesn't really need action anyways. The story is strong enough for that. A good movie night assured.

Candid Camera

[GManfred · 23 May 2016]

I am on a hot streak this year regarding indie films noir. This is the fourth I've seen and it's the best so far. I know, I know, I said that about "The American Side", but this one's even better. But I don't think you can see it, at least in the NYC area - it got here on a Thursday, I saw it on Monday, and it's leaving on Wednesday; 7 days exposure, and in only one theater.

In a nutshell; Porter (Adrien Brody) writes a column in a tabloid and covers accidents and murders. He meets Caroline (Yvonne Strahovski) at a party and tells him she has a problem, but he must come to her apartment to get the details. Her husband, a kinky movie director, was recently murdered and it is still unsolved. He volunteers to help. The publisher of his paper also enlists his help to find a compromising tape made of him. (of course, there is a connection).

The plot and script is as good as it is absorbing. "Manhattan Night" starts off slowly for the first 40 minutes, but the last hour is riveting. And I can guarantee you've never seen a more offbeat story. Adrien Brody is perfect as a noir detective (in this case, a writer) and Ms. Strahovski is a knockout as well as a very competent actress. Too bad you won't be able to see this one.

Good cast

[scott-1657 · 7/10 · 15 July 2019]

Honestly, this is not the freshest movie I've ever seen. I really have come to dislike the gumshoe (even though he's a reporter/columnist) film noir voice-over. Seems like a cop-out. And I thought it was a very slow-going film; it seemed to drag. With that out of way, the cast makes this worth it. Adrian Brody is always very good--very sympathetic. I must admit a big crush on Yvonne Strahovski since Dexter. I haven't seen her in much, though I was surprised looking at IMDb that she has made so many films. She has a great voice and interesting nasal accent--same accent in this as in Dexter, and, since she's Australian, I wonder if it's actually a faux US accent. Her character here is not dissimilar to the one she played in Dexter, somewhat quixotic and messed up but compelling. There are interesting twists that also held my attention. When all was said and done, though, I doubt it'll be a film that I remember or watch again. As far as plot, I'll leave that to everyone else. I wouldn't go out of my way to see this, but it's an interesting watch on cable. You could do worse.

Thought the movie was laid out brilliantly for Adrein Brody's particular acting style.

[subxerogravity · 6/10 · 23 May 2016]

Adrein Brody plays a washed up newspaper journalist whose claim to fame came from finding a missing girl, when even the police ran out of options. In hopes of finding another hit to keep his career alive, he accepts an invention from a beautiful woman to figure out her husband's death, but as he gets deeper evolved it complicates his life greatly.

Thought the actual crime is not that interesting, I was more taken by how the narrative was laid out while Brody was driving the wheel. He has a way of getting you into the mix of everything that was going on, some of his best work in a while.

I also loved the modern day film noir accepts I saw in the film. A very modern day twist of the crime orientated genre, with Brody deep in trouble with the Femme Fatale, played by Yvonne Strahovski, and modern day elements added to it. Yvoone's character Caroline's recently dead husband was a abusive filmmaker who documented everything, which was a big drive to the movie's story.

The overall crime was pretty weak but yeah, the whole movie with Brody as the centerpiece was done brilliantly

Quite good and suprising

[maartenvanwalsem · 7/10 · 13 December 2021]

It is not the best movie, a little bit weird, but worth to look at. I like the story and the end is quite acceptable. Acting is ok, so have a look if you like a combination of mysterious drama thrillers.

An atmospheric neo-noir with Brody looking gloomy again.

[peterp-450-298716 · 5/10 · 22 September 2016]

"I'm always running to the place where the bad thing just happened, arriving just after the danger has passed, watching from a safe distance, searching for an angle, that little wrinkle, the kick to the heart that makes you want to put down the dollar and pick up the paper."

After seeing two not so good films with Adrien Brody ("Backtrack" and "American Heist") I noticed that sad look of him on the cover of "Manhattan Night". It might sound weird, but every time I see Brody's facial expression on a cover, at once a sense of gloom and sadness overtakes me. Examine once again the cover from "Backtrack" and that of, lets say, "Wrecked". Every time you see a person filled with melancholy. With those sad puppy eyes and a grim facial expression. He stares at you with a helpless and beseeching look. The man exudes melancholy.

Despite his distinctive physical traits, he reminded me of Jake Gyllenhaal hunting for sensational news in "Nightcrawler". The same profession, the same eagerness and the same melancholy look. The only major difference is that Porter Wren already had his victory moment in the past when a young girl was found after his journalistic work. Hence, he still takes care of a daily column in the New York Daily News. Even though the new owner of this newspaper isn't very enthusiastic about it. At first you might say that Porter is a boring and rational person. But then again, he hasn't taken Caroline Crowley (Yvonne Strahovski) into account. The moment he sees her at a party, he's lost and he becomes entangled in the seductive web of this blond vamp. Caroline's interest in Porter is also of a practical nature. She wants to use Porter's "Sherlock Holmes" skills to investigate the suspicious death of her husband Simon Crowley (Campbell Scott).

You'll experience something similar like "Basic Instinct" with Brody acting as a sort of Poirot who's persistent in solving a case. In addition, he has to deal with a case of extortion, so the whole thing gets even more complicated. A story full of intrigue and erotically charged scenes. Brody's daily column is about other people's misery. It looks like he's becoming the main character in such a column. Although all my attention should be drawn to the stormy affair between Porter and Caroline and the complicated developments gripping Porter, my attention went to the rather extravagant personality of Crowley. A slightly deranged movie producer with some absurd traits. A real weirdo with a weird sense of humor. Such a person who pretends to having commit suicide after swallowing a large number of pills. And then he gets up calmly and says it was just a joke. And a highly attractive, breathtaking erotic blonde falls in love with such an eccentric who looks like a bum? Women are unfathomable and inapprehensible. But the acting of Campbell Scott was beyond dispute extremely brilliant.

All in all not a bad movie. Not bad at all. But not a high flyer either. Turn it into a black and white film and you can place it between other Hollywood classics which are shown on a pay-per-view television-channel. It won't be noticed. You can call this film stylish though. "Manhattan Night" pretends to be a neo-noir film with a mystery build into. But in the end it isn't really mysterious.

More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

Intresting

[bhardwajuday-34563 · 6/10 · 14 August 2021]

The whole story was really interesting however broady and Yvonne didn't really have a lot of chemistry probably because of their age difference. Idk I'm biased, I've had a crush on Yvonne for a long time and seeing her with Broady didn't feel right.

Hollywood can't make Brody into a Sam Spade

[SimonJack · 3/10 · 8 August 2017]

"Manhattan Night" has all the ingredients of the pulp fiction genre that began around 1930. It has a twist on the usual noir plot, in that the lead character isn't a detective. But, the newspaper columnist, Porter Wren (Adrien Brody), turns into a detective in his job. The setting, night and street scenes and camera work copy the successful techniques used in films from the stories of the early American detectives.

Indeed, the writers for this film tried to emulate the styles of Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961), Raymond Chandler (1888-1959), and Mickey Spillane (1918-2006). The plot is quite bizarre and probably designed to be more in tune with the current culture's tastes for the noir. But the character deviation is the biggest difference. And, I think it's the biggest detriment of this film. Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe and Mike Hammer – the characters, respectively, of the earlier three novelists, were single private eyes. They were tough and hardened characters who could dish out a bruising as well as take one – usually more than one. They were hard-fisted, hard drinking, thinking macho men.

By contrast, Adrien Brody is a happily married man. His wife is an MD and he has three children. His newspaper beat has him on the street mostly in the daytime, but occasionally at night. The filmmakers try to make Brody into the tough character of the model private eyes. He drinks and takes a bruising. Thankfully, Hollywood didn't have him dishing out a bruising. That would have been way too far-fetched.

In spite of the script and the attempt to paint Brody as something of a tough guy, it just doesn't work. He is not a macho man. His persona is far too timid and mild – almost effeminate. And, as much as I like Brody in some other films, he just can't pull off this role to make it seem believable.

The movie itself has some intrigue, but the bizarre aspects and overboard gratuitous sex and ongoing affair undercut the mystery attraction in the film. At the end, one has the impression that this was just another pulp fiction film. It was made glossier, for sure, but it's still a cheap, second-rate story and film Brody's Wren does get payback for his adultery, so there is a sense of fairness about the ending – certainly not empathy for his character.

None of the cast gave memorable performances. Brody is a quite good actor who has the ability to make some quality movies. So it's sad to see him follow the road of so many other good actors after their peak years. Only he's going early into the realm of lesser quality films. I don't know how closely the movie follows the 1996 novel it is based on – "Manhattan Nocturne" by Colin Harrison. But this wannabe Sam Spade flick just seems phony and unbelievable.

I recommend it

[BogdanH · 8/10 · 21 May 2016]

Crime, drama, mystery... no action. Not easy to make a good movie of such genre nowadays. And when reading story-line, one might think "haven't we seen them all?". Yes, we probably did.. but this one belongs to good ones.

Main role suits Adrien Brody perfectly. His "average guy" appearance gives the movie certain authenticity. But then, he never disappointed me. I never heard of Yvonne Strahovski before, though. In this movie however, she reminded me on Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. Difference being, Yvonne doesn't appear that cool'n'smart -which is only good in this case.

Story, in general, is not that new. But it has interesting plot, which is presented very good and kept my attention all the time. Now, even this movie is categorized (also) as mystery, I wouldn't say there's any. There are just things we don't know till the end of movie. OK, I admit, I found relationship between Ivonne and her husband kinda "weird"...

And finally, movie ending. In my opinion, it's perfect!

So, if you like this genre and you're in the right mood, I recommend to give it a try. I give 8 stars.

Engaging neo-noir with a bizarre relationship n a lil disturbing end.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 1 December 2016]

I saw this on a rented DVD. I didn't c the trailer or read much bah it except that it being a mystery movie with Brody in it convinced me to pick the DVD. The movie started like Chinatown, a woman approaches a detective to look into her husband's death then 8mm n Jade came to my mind. A lil bit of Bringing out the dead too came to my mind. Well it's a very engaging neo- noir film. The initial 15 mins was slow. After that it really turned into an engaging drama/mystery movie. As a viewer I was totally glued to it n really wanted to know how it ends. The lead female has a past which many characters were curious to know. As a viewer even I became curious. Brody acted good. The plot was intriguing n interesting. The movie was entertaining. The relationship of the lead female and her former husband was truly bizarre.

Not my Night

[Mr-Fusion · 5/10 · 16 December 2016]

I'll admit, this one's a little baffling. "Manhattan Night" has all of your usual noir clichés and a generally melancholy vibe, but it is far from a nail-biter. There is a point, late in the game, where things actually do heat up, but it is a genuine challenge getting there. And this is a movie with more than one naked Yvonne Strahovski scene. That's criminal, man.

The movie's worth it for the cast (Jennifer Beals is always an asset) and there is a payoff in the end, but I can't say I'll be coming back around for this anytime soon.

5/10

Brody Does a fine Philip Marlowe.

[Marcus-Aurelius90 · 30 August 2017]

Despite Adrien Brody pitching us his solid take on a New York columnist, his character is very much written in the Philip Marlowe private eye vein, the famous character by hard boiled crime detection novelist Raymond Chandler. Both characters share an obsessive nature, both get beaten up at least once and both do their best work at night in seedy places.

Yvonne Strahovski was born to a play a femme fatale and she is magnificent in this film. Shot entirely in New York, its NYC credentials extend to its quality supporting players like Jennifer Beals and Broadway star Campbell Scott. All four really gel. Campbell Scott is great at playing morally ambiguous or slightly crazy characters and he does both here to great effect. Of course the seedy back streets of NYC also feature. Describing the plot would give too much a way, but its one of those great neo noir films where everyone is guilty of something and everyone seems to teeter on the edge of betraying somebody else. Recommended for everyone, but neo noir fans in particular.

Neo-Noir Mystery Has Good Suspense and Film Set-Ups

[lavatch · 7/10 · 10 August 2016]

Adrien Brody is outstanding as the hard-luck, yet creative, investigative newspaper reporter always looking for the special scoop on human calamity. He meets his match with a femme-fatale, whose mysterious past holds the secrets to a complicated blackmail plot.

The best scenes are those between Brody's character Porter Wren and the emotionally fragile Caroline Crowley played dynamically by Yvonne Strahovski. There is good sizzle to their romantic encounter, as Porter gets deeper and deeper into a plot that involves a missing chip with compromising video footage of a business tycoon.

The greatest film noir movies were those that featured an innovative use of black-and-white filming. In this color film, there is nonetheless a thoughtful approach to the cinematography with fascinating location filming in New York City, plus dynamically lit interior scenes. In the bonus segment, director Brian DeCubellis described how every shot was carefully planned in advance, much in the tradition of an Alfred Hitchcock film. The behind-the-scenes segment also included Brody noting that the neo-noir films of the 1980s, including "Fatal Attraction" and "Body Heat," were the models for "Manhattan Night."

The main weakness of the film was the excessive violence and the truly bizarre relationship of Caroline Crowley and her former husband, a film director played by Campbell Scott. Scott's character appears in flashback sequences that go well beyond the bizarre into the deeply troubling and unpleasant.

In the classic film noir, there was always an ironic quality and even a moment or two of humor injected into the drama. In "Manhattan Night," there was a tentative attempt at the irony with a colorful character played by Linda Lavin. After catching Porter snooping around in her home, she sits him down for an outrageous conversation that ties up all the loose ends of the mystery!

Still, the mood of the film rarely escapes from the somber tone of deceit, ulterior motives, and eventual trauma experienced by all of the characters. This film is definitely not for the squeamish or family-film viewer.

Less film noir and more film lightish grey

[estreet-eva · 6/10 · 28 May 2016]

In the history of poor movie title decisions, going with "October Sky" instead of the book's provocatively titled "Rocket Boys" remains the champ but "Manhattan Night" instead of "Manhattan Nocturne" comes in pretty high. A few other decisions also plague the production. The movie's most dramatic scene where Porter Ren's 3 year old and his nanny get shot off screen. Seemingly, the scene wouldn't have been expensive to shoot and might have livened up the proceedings. Another issue, particularly for New York audiences, is the concept that somewhere in Manhattan down in a secret passageway is a suburban three bedroom house that a detective could pay the mortgage on. Otherwise, the underlying story brings some intriguing questions and fascinating twists and would make a much better book. As the only known cast member Adrian Brody makes a believable but not particularly compelling New York Post reporter. The rest of the cast is largely forgettable. In short, the strength of the story shines through a shaky production but maybe not quite enough.

Ending up solving mysteries between two people risking his own family.

[Reno-Rangan · 7/10 · 4 October 2016]

The film was based on the book named 'Manhattan Nocturne'. Excellently made film, it's the director's first feature film as well. He did not get the top actors, but these actors were the good ones. Adrien Brody and Yvonne Strahovski were amazing their respective roles. It was not a detective story, but very close to being one. So if you love crime-mysteries, then you should try this. The tone of the film makes very interesting. It's not about the question of story prediction, but how cleverly it was advanced like the characters were transformed compared to the opening and the conclusion.

Some films open strongly, but ends poorly. In this case, the opening was average, but ended on a high. The main reason is the middle parts, keeping all contents together and developing some suspense with a couple of quick twists made this film to reach the expectation made by its viewers. It was a tale of a recently famed reporter finds an affair with a young widow, despite he's married with a child. Soon, he discovers some mysterious men are watching him, who threatening his family as well. How he gets out of that trouble by finding reasons behind it is what the rest of the film narrates.

It looked a lot like a television film. Not because of the production quality, actually the production was top class, but the story and its narration felt kind of like a mini-series type. I don't know how many books are there, but I want this to continue, at least as a television film series. One of the best of its kind, I almost liked everything about the film. But I still feel I underrated it, at the end I'm satisfied with what I gave. Definitely, I recommend it.

7/10

Sleepless in Manhattan

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 4 February 2017]

A different kind of love story. If you want to call this one a love story, because it's obviously more of mystery thriller with a bit of detective work thrown in, almost by accident - which is apt if you think about the breakout case and also the inciting incident. Brody may have been in the Pianist and other movies that can be described to have a higher quality, but he also did one with Argento when he lost his touch.

So while this isn't really top notch, it does what it says on the cover. Is that enough for you to watch? Can you feel the temptation and the sparks between the blonde Femme Fatale (you may have seen her prominently in a TV show) and Brody's character? And should he listen to his heart or rather ... I mean Jennifer Beals is waiting at home for him. You can see certain things a mile away, but certain things may just be revealed as the movie flows along. Decent enough

Avoid

[michael-rosenmail · 1/10 · 17 March 2017]

One of the most offensive movies of all time. I must admit I felt the same way about BLUE VELVET at first, but later came around. Not this time. Not this one. We will be lucky, VERY lucky, if writer/director Brian De Cubellis is never involved in making another movie.Everyone involved in this disaster,this monstrosity,should be beyond disgusted with themselves. Torture.

A decent noir suspense thriller, excellent cast ok story.

[joiningjt · 6/10 · 17 June 2021]

Nothing fantastic or memorable but worth watching once I liked the cast a lot and Adrien brody is always excellent but the film dragged in parts and lacked that tension of a true thriller but as far as film noir it was a 6. Worthy of watching via cable or streaming but not worth buying the bluray.

Bleh

[calicut110 · 5/10 · 10 January 2021]

It was just ok. I will forgot it immediate after watching it.

Loved it! Way better than what the reviews are saying.

[gxme · 10/10 · 31 May 2016]

Watched this on demand tonight. Wasn't expecting much based on the reviews. I thought it was excellent once you get past the first 15 minutes or so, which feel a bit contrived. The movie is very intense and keeps the viewer involved and wanting to see where it's going. I would categorize the movie as mystery/suspense. The acting was excellent. Adrian Brody just has a certain something special in every movie he is in. The female lead is drop dead gorgeous. The guy who played the lead's deceased husband gave a quite fascinating, if sick, performance. I did correctly predict the ending in my head about halfway through, but still enjoyed it very much. I literally got chills at the end.

Adrien Brody's noir

[lee_eisenberg · 6/10 · 30 May 2017]

Brian DeCubellis's "Manhattan Night" is basically a modern-day film noir. Adrien Brody plays a tabloid journalist who meets a woman who wants him to investigate the death of her husband. The characters very much evoke a 1940s movie, with Brody as the homely detective and Yvonne Strahovski as the blonde who enters his life. An unusual side to this movie is that the detective has a family.

I wouldn't call it any sort of great movie. I thought that the real strength was the exchanges between the main character and the other characters. But make no mistake about it, practically every scene adds a new twist (especially during the last twenty or so minutes of the movie). It's an OK movie, not a masterpiece. Good support comes from Jennifer Beals (in a role far removed from her most famous ones) and Campbell Scott (son of George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst).

A forgettable disaster

[aclifton-14276 · 2/10 · 16 September 2021]

Barely audible script, a plot sequence that only the producers appear to grasp, and, saddest of all, seeing Adrian Brody, a talented actor, in a role that merely helps to pay his bills. A 2 rating is generous.