Night Falls on Manhattan

A string of unlikely events and coincidences set off Night Falls, and Lumet makes them believable the old-fashioned way: through interaction with a screen full of strongly drawn, fully dimensioned, psychologically valid characters.

This movie is knowledgeable about the city and the people who make accommodations with it.

As satisfying as much of the film is, there are a few missteps, large and small, that may require indulgence on the part of viewers.

That said, what must be added is that, disappointingly, Night Falls on Manhattan doesn't quite add up.

But Night Falls on Manhattan is also oddly listless. It doesn't often live up to the doomy eloquence of its title.

The problem -- as anyone who gets home from the movie in time to catch even a portion of "NYPD Blue" can tell you -- is that the genre that Lumet invented has buried him alive.

Without serious political and ethical stakes, the story limps to a halt, shrouded in platitude and faux drama.