07-06-30 The Yards (2000)

Seen: June 29th, 2007
Format: Broadcast (HDNMV - NDNet Movies)
Rating: 4

This is one of those films that you hope will be good. There's a cast that contains some greats and potential greats. The premise doesn't seem like a complete retread. So you give a shot. And you get pretty much what you expected.

The fundamental problem with The Yards is that the underlying scenario isn't really that interesting. Corruption is rampant in the entire fabric of New York City, any movie goer knows that. So why should we really be that surprised when train car companies are in bed with local officials to get contracts for their wares? But more important, why should we care? While I'm sure that a story like this would send investigative reporters into Pavlovian fits over the potential impact to their careers, the rest of us just aren't that interested.

On this framework we hang some characters who aren't particularly well rounded or interesting either. What are their hopes and dreams? What are their strengths and weaknesses? We really don't know much more about these people at the end of the film than we do five minutes after they're first introduced. They're just pieces of the puzzle which get shuffled around.

To play them, we get a fairly decent cast. Theron, Wahlberg and Phoenix were the new regime at this point and have done well since. They all do a decent job with what they're given, though there's nothing remarkable in their performances, outside the fight between the men. The old guard is well represented also. Burstyn, Dunaway and Caan, are no slouches, but again, there's precious little work with.

It'd be easy to just bash this some more and move on. The plot is largely predictable. I spent most of my time guessing what would happen next, and generally being right. But there are a couple of surprises. There are some good choices which take the story down an unexpected avenue. These moments renewed my interest at each point, making me actually pay attention again.

The payoff was decent as well. Not surprising, but handled in a calm, officious manner that really belayed all the seething undertones of the participants. Everyone seems to forget that a man lost his life in their urgency to put things back in order. The ending itself was trite and felt tacked on. 

This isn't a terrible film, but it's nothing outstanding either. See it if you're a fan of NYC's train system or one of the actors. 

The Good: Not completely predictable

The Bad: Mostly predictable

The Ugly: Are there no honest people in NYC?