An early poliziotteschi by the director of "The Big Gundown," "Violent City" is a thriller about a hitman and his adversaries who are manipulated by a femme fatale, so that they end up in a worse situation than before they met her. Bronson plays his typical 70's action star schtick, which works fine, but Ireland, although pretty, really brings down the film, as she doesn't have the charisma of a Sharon Stone or Lauren Bacall. There's a scene where she talks about how she "can't share power, as it has to be held by one set of hands," which coming from her seems lame. "Violent City" is aptly named, as it is violent, and in between the violence it is tense. The Morricone score is also good. This is worth adding to your collection if you're a Bronson fan; not as good as "Death Wish," but better than "The Mechanic."
Review of The Family
