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.

This is a studio character with tones of suspense about some two-fisted criminals in L.A city . An old thief named Roy Egan (Harvey Keitel) , is drawn into the final jewel heist to Russian Mafia when his youngest brother named Lee (Timothy Hutton) asks him for a last score before they get out of the game . Lee forms a motley group (Keitel , Wade Dominguez and Stephen Dorff) to carry out the violent robbing . Unfortunately for him , Lee's picked one wrong partner and the events get worse . One of them decides he doesn't want to share the goods and betrays the group and happens murders and wreak havoc .The retired thief swears revenge on the lunatic who murdered his partners, while going on the run with the loot they stole.This modern adaptation of noir cinema contains thrills , intrigue, explosive scenes of action and over-riding feeling of heat . Interesting premise in which takes places a moving cat-and-mouse hunt through the seedier sides of L.A . Exciting and stirring finale full of shootouts , violence and fights into a factory . Good performances from all-star cast as Harvey Keitel as an old pro robber who has vowed to avenge his brother , Stephen Dorff as a volatile , violent wheelman and Famke Janssen as a suffering wife . Nice musical score including an emotive song at the beginning . Colorful cinematography by Thomas Burstyn who permeates the whole movie even in the hours of night and darkness .The motion picture is professionally directed by John Irvin with a well-achieved realization and elaborate scenes , though doesn't always live up to its promise . He worked extensively in TV before making his film debut with ¨The dogs of war¨ a cool rendition of a best-seller by Frederick Forsyth dealing with mercenaries in Africa. He went on directing ¨Ghost story¨ starred by old Hollywood-all-star and ¨Champions¨ about a courageous recovery from cancer stricken a steeple-chase jockey . After that , he realized a fine Vietnam movie as ¨The Hamburger Hill¨, ¨Turtle diary¨, an Arnold Szwenegger vehicle as ¨Raw Deal¨ and a good and realistic TV ¨Robin Hood¨. Finally , he made underrated films that not had the same inspiration since them as ¨Next of kin¨ , ¨Eminent domain¨ , ¨Freefall¨ and a sparkling comedy ,¨Widows peak¨ and is also of note a wartime genre as ¨When trumpets fade¨(1998). And of course , ¨City of Industry¨ , being one of the jewels in Irvin's crown , it results to be one of this most interesting works and an efficient contemporary Noir which had moderated success .

About 3 ½ years ago, I came across a copy of this movie in the video store. I had never heard of it, and knew nothing about its general reception. I read the blurb on the back of the case, and thought it looked interesting, so I decided to rent it. By the time I watched it, I think I knew it wasn't the most popular crime thriller ever made, and like probably many other viewers, I was disappointed, finding it to be a rather weak film of its genre. Earlier this week, I rented it again. I couldn't remember it that well from my first viewing, and decided to give it a second chance. This time, I had lower expectations than before, but was expecting to be more impressed than I was the first time, which I was. That doesn't mean I didn't notice any severe flaws this time, though.Roy Egan is a retired thief who is lured out of retirement by his younger brother, Lee, for a major jewel heist. Lee has chosen two other partners for this robbery, Jorge Montana and Skip Kovich. The heist is a success, but afterwards, Skip gets greedy and suddenly kills Lee and Jorge! He tries to kill Roy as well, but the veteran thief manages to get away! After this, Roy swears to have his vengeance for the killing of his brother, and sets out on a mission to find the whereabouts of Skip! During this mission, his foe realizes he is searching for him, and is obviously not going to make it any easier for him. Roy isn't the only one who has suffered a loss in the family as a result of Skip's greed and insanity. The lunatic's other victim, Jorge, has left behind his wife and kids. His widow, Rachel, is eventually involved in Roy's mission after she learns what has happened to her husband.Harvey Keitel plays the starring role of Roy Egan, and does a decent job, but this may not be the case with the entire cast. I didn't care much for Stephen Dorff as Skip Kovich, but I'm not entirely sure if that was because of the actor's performance or because of the character. The characters in this film are generally pretty shallow. There isn't much emotional depth or detail to them. However, at least there are some characters I could sympathize with, most notably Rachel Montana, and I guess Roy Egan to a certain extent. There are fairly weak moments, such as some unnecessary sex scenes (at least one involving Skip and his girlfriend), the film drags at times, and the dialogue may not be perfect. Despite these flaws, there's still at least some suspense, as well as poignant moments, and enough to keep me interested until the end, during my second viewing, that is.Now that I've seen "City of Industry" twice, I don't exactly think it's bad, as I definitely found more redeeming qualities the second time than I did the first (I'm not sure if I really found any the first time), and a major reason for this is that it just MIGHT be a better film to watch alone. On the other hand, it's still a flawed thriller, flawed enough for me to see why it's so polarizing and has been widely overlooked since its release in the late 90's. I wouldn't have really been missing out on THAT much if I had never noticed this film in the video store several years ago (meaning I still wouldn't be aware of its existence now), and I certainly wouldn't consider it a must-see for anyone, but if you like this genre, maybe this movie will do. Just don't expect anything too brilliant or original.

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