For a cookie-cutter crime thriller, “Broken City” is surprisingly entertaining and well-rounded without pushing the limits. It drags you right into the middle of a scandalous political battle in the “greatest city,” where murder and secrets are nothing new.
The story starts where officer Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) has just shot a man accused of rape and murder. After being ruled innocent in court and fast-forward seven years, ex-officer Billy is now a private investigator struggling to make ends meet at his little office with his trusty assistant, Katy.
In the midst of his re-election campaign, Mayor Hostetler (Russell Crowe) hires Billy privately to find out with whom his wife, Cathleen (Catherine Zeta-Jones), is having an affair. Billy seizes the job as an opportunity for redemption.
Haunted by his past, Billy investigates and uncovers that he was being used as a pawn by Hostetler in a bigger plot. The election race quickly spirals into a focus of negative tension, scandal, secrets, and corruption.
