International Cinema Festival of India

City Island is a quirky and funny movie, released in April of this year, about a family who can only keep secrets from each other. They have such a hard time telling the truth, that they are finding it hard to keep track of all the lies. Actress Julianna Margulies plays Joyce Rizzo, the mother and wife, and Emmy Nominated Andy Garcia plays the father, Vince Rizzo. One of the main secrets in the film is Garcia’s character’s wish to become an actor. He’s been attending acting courses every week but know one knows of his burning desire.

At the 2009 famous Tribeca Film Festival, where a lot of films make their debut, this movie won the audience award. This is the award given to films that are favorites of those viewing the films for the first time, both everyday people and critics are allowed to vote for this award. The distributors take their movies to these film festivals in order to generate publicity and a name for the film. People seemed to identify and love this quirky little film in which no one likes to tell the truth.

Each member of this family of fibbers is hiding a deep dark secret so that the rest of the relatives will not be destroyed from a revelation of what they are doing behind everyone’s back. The father in the film, and popular star of the Ocean’s movies, Garcia, wants to become a Hollywood actor but doesn’t dare tell his wife or family. Margulies, of televisions the Good Wife, portrays Garcia’s somewhat neurotic but always nosey wife. She spends hours trying to catch him in the act of cheating.

Other family members include a daughter who is supposed to be attending collage but instead is a stripper. This character is performed by Dominik Garca-Lorido of the Lost City. The Rizzo’s young, teenage son’s performance is done by Ezra Miller of television’s Californication and he is trying to keep his secret love and fetish regarding the family’s 300 pound neighbor. The performance of the drama coach of the elder Rizzo is done by Emmy Award Winner Alan Arkin from Little Miss Sunshine. He, too, has several secrets he’s keeping from the rest of those on screen.

When creating a story, a screenwriter needs to ask themselves ‘why today’? What is so special about this day or this time in the family’s life that makes a movie interesting. Vince Rizzo answers that question by his reaction to an acting exercises. Rizzo decides to bring home his long-lost son which he located in the prison he works at. The fact that the elder Rizzo found his long lost son in the prison he works at as a corrections officer is so much change and a lie he can’t cover up, he bring him home to meet the family.

Emily Mortimer of the movie Shutter Island gives a performance of the elder Rizzo’s confidant and acting partner. Mortimer and Garcia’s chemistry is almost perfect in this quirky and almost always funny movie for the most laughs and best chemistry, money is on Margulies’ and Garcia. They play a typical New York married couple whose miscommunications and constant love-hate yelling will steal the show.

The movie’s namesake is a real live place just outside of the Bronx’s and it is teaming with tradition. There are basically no ‘outsiders’ in the tiny former fishing village and parents hand down their houses from generation to generation. People outside of Manhattan and the Bronx don’t know of this beautiful little community, that is, until now.

Written and directed by Raymond De Felitta from Two Family House, the project was a labor of love. Andy Garcia is one of the producers, co-producers and executives producers attached to this film. August 24, 2010 is the DVD and Blu-Ray release date of City Island.

The soundtrack of the film couldn’t be better, it is utterly scintillating. Music Movie Download A legendary example here is Memory from the liquid Cats. The character isn’t going to tell your audience he’s a greasy henchman.