DVD Corner

City Of Hope Blu-ray Review

“City of Hope” is another winner from John Sayles.

Long unavailable on home video (it never even received a DVD release), 1991’s “City Of Hope” is an ensemble drama that takes place in a decaying New Jersey town. The story is told through the lives of interconnected characters such as Nicki (the son of a property developer named Joe who is in debt and on the run from a botched appliance story robbery), Carl (a loan shark/criminal/car repair shop owner), Angela (a divorced waitress Nicki has a crush on), Rizzo (a cop who is Angela’s ex-husband), Wynn (a council member looking to make change within the community), 2 black boys who assault a teacher but falsely claim that he was trying to molest them, Asteroid (a mentally ill homeless man), and the corrupt Mayor Baci who wants one of Joe’s apartment buildings burned down in favor of his grand city changing project.  

Despite being released 33 years ago, “City Of Hope” feels just as relevant now as it did then. It’s a sprawling intellectual drama about corruption, politics, the class system, homelessness, race, unrest, crime, and leadership. Writer/director/editor John Sayles manages to explore so many topical themes and ideas about the evolution (or de-evolution) of an American city in a starkly realistic manner all in a mere 130 minute span. It’s a dark, uncomfortable and ultimately haunting movie that makes you question the state of so many cities in America.

“City Of Hope” may be an ensemble piece, but there’s plenty of noteworthy performances here from the likes of David Strathairn (as per usual in a Sayles movie), Joe Morton, Vincent Spano, John Sayles, Frankie Faison, Tony Lo Bianco and Barbara Williams. No part is too small in this movie as every scene has a clear purpose. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. How does it look? Fans can rejoice that this new hi-def transfer is dazzling. It’s nice to see this unsung film get the picture quality it deserves.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? This 2.0 track offers up a clean audio experience.

The lone extra is a commentary by writer/director John Sayles

May 20, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | City of Hope, City Of Hope Blu-ray Review, David Strathairn, Joe Morton, John Sayles