First Sundance (Spread), then the Cannes market (The Open Road) and now Tribeca, it looks like Anchor Bay Films are getting serious about the theatrical side of the movie business acquiring modestly sized comedies with star power. They happen to believe so much in Raymond de Felitta‘s Tribeca winning film that they’ve grabbed all rights for North America, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. De Felitta last directed The Thing About My Folks and doc film ‘Tis Autumn – The Search for Jackie Paris.
City Island is set in a fishing village in the Bronx, De Felitta’s original screenplay stars Andy Garcia as Vince Rizzo, a correctional officer who is keeping a couple of secrets. He’s taking an acting class in the city with Molly Charlesworth (Emily Mortimer) and he’s taking home a prisoner from the jail where he works— a young man (Steven Strait) who will have a profound impact on Vince and his family’s lives. His daughter (Dominik Garcia-Lorido) is moonlighting as a stripper, her brother (Ezra Miller) has a weight fetish, and mom’s (Julianna Margulies) eye is wandering. The Rizzos might get along a lot better if they weren’t keeping so many secrets.
Ezra Miller (who De Felitta compares to a young Downey Jr.) first got his start in Antonio Campos’ Afterschool, and has since had a steady flow of acting jobs including this film and a stint on TV’s Californication. Here’s a clip featuring his talent.
