Hostetler's wife, Cathleen — played by Catherine Zeta-Jones as if she watched one too many 1950s film noirs in her trailer while getting her hair and makeup done — is up to something shady. Is she having an affair, as the mayor claims, or is it something deeper? Well, she actually pulls Billy aside at one point and basically tells him what's going on, but he still doesn't buy it. Come on, Billy!
We also get Jeffrey Wright as the police commissioner, whose intentions are well disguised; Barry Pepper as Hostetler's opponent, whose name is actually Jack Valliant, I kid you not, and Kyle Chandler as Jack's slick campaign manager. Meanwhile, there's a mostly irrelevant subplot about Billy's girlfriend and the seemingly NC-17 indie film she's doing, and did I mention Billy hasn't had a drink in seven years but he's about to fall off the wagon?
Oh, and there's a lot of flirtatious banter between Billy and his gorgeous, wise-cracking assistant, played by Alona Tal. (Now there's a name, Jack Valliant!) I looked up Alona Tal because she's such crackerjack fun in "Broken City." According to the Internet Movie Database, she was born in Herzlia, Israel, once recorded a song with Wyclef Jean, came in second for the role of "Veronica Mars" and served in the Israel Defense Forces. So there's that.
Back to the madness of "Broken City." Hostetler stands to make millions from one of those real estate deals that will evict thousands of poor people and make way for luxury condos. Billy's hot on the trail, but he can't see the forest for the trees. Just about everyone is hiding one secret, if not more. Shots are fired, punches are exchanged, speeches are speechified.
Like many a movie villain, Crowe favors his dog over people. It's a pretty great performance from Crowe, as he throws his ham hands about and lectures everyone who comes within shouting distance. Wahlberg is solid, Wright puts his usual unique spin on his role, and Chandler is so good you want to see more of his character.
This is the kind of cliche-riddled movie where people print out incriminating documents just so someone can find them, and a falling-down-drunk character miraculously sobers up when he's summoned to a crime scene.
Is it any good? No. But yeah.
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