Night Falls on Manhattan

Another riveting New York story by Sidney Lumet, director of Serpico, Network, Dog Day Afternoon, Prince of the City and The Verdict. Andy Garcia stars as Sean Casey, a neophyte assistant D.A. whose father, a veteran cop (Ian Holm) is seriously wounded in the wake of a botched drug bust. The drug dealer surrenders, and in an implausible public relations ploy, Casey is assigned to prosecute the high profile case. His ideals and loyalties are tested when he comes to suspect that his father might be on the take. The great ensemble cast rises to the occasion of working with Lumet, justly celebrated as an actor's director. Richard Dreyfuss, in particular, is superb as the media-savvy defense attorney (any resemblance to Alan Dershowitz may not be a coincidence). Based on the novel, Tainted Evidence, by Robert Daley. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)