City of Industry is a decent effort at a crime movie, and perhaps one the better of a bad bunch of these types of films that seemed to be on a production line since Pulp Fiction came out. We don't get much in terms of character here, well, we do but the two characters the film focuses on at the beginning... well, I'll just say they don't last long. The characters are setting up a jewel heist. They get Harvey Keitel's character, Roy Egan who is the brother of one of the two, and the "wildcard" character, Skip. The film then turns into a revenge film with Roy trying to track down Skip and get revenge and his money. Skip's introduction to the proceedings is an example of where the film fails, it tries to be too cool but it doesn't have the substance to back it up. Apart from this failing though, the film takes some risks that are worthy of note, such as deciding to focus the beginning part of the film on the two characters that get killed to advance the main plot. The film also has some nice LA locations, several murals are seen throughout the film for example, preceding Michael Mann's work on Collateral.

I like this film very much, a film which basic scheme reminds me a Richard Stark's novel: four professional robbers pull a job and just after, one of them kill his sidekicks and misses the one he should not have, before getting away with the goods...Then the track begins. Yes, I think about Parker in the Harvey Keitel's character. One dark, gritty and brutal fast paced American film noir. The only thing that bothers me, and that could have been easily avoided, is the heist scene, in the jewelry store. Three professional gangsters enter the store with no gloves and no hoods on their faces, as if they only had to get into a shopping mall to buy some presents for their wives. It is totally crazy !!!! I don't understand how the producers, screenwriters and director could have done that. If I had my self been a technician, or actor on the set, I would have asked, argued, opened my big mouth. I swear !!!! And no one seems to have noticed this huge goof !!!!!

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 .