"City Island" is one of those independent
films that come a long every once in awhile, play for a short time in
theatres and then disappear, not getting the attention it deserves.

Andy Garcia stars
as the father, who secretly wants to be an actor, married for twenty
years to Julianna Margulies,
who suspects her husband is cheating. They have a daughter, Domnik Garcia-Lorido  (Andy's real life
daughter) who has a couple of secrets such as losing her scholarship to
college and performing in a strip bar. They also have a teenage son,
Ezra Miller, who has a 'thing' for very obese women and feeding them.

And then there is the biggest secret of all
when Steven Strait, a petty criminal, joins the family, that leads to
complications, honesty and helping heal a dysfunctional family.

The film is set in City Island, not far from
where i was raised in the north Bronx, and, even with all the family
drama, done with a lot of humor, the film is bright and shows a section
of New York not known by many people, even those who live in the city.

The standout
acting is done by Julianna Margulies and Steven Strait while Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Ezra Millerand, the two women playing
the objects of his interest, all do professional work. I found Emily
Mortimer, playing a fellow acting student of Andy's, very annoying. The
most disappointing performance to me was that of Andy Garcia who, as a
rule,  I admire, whose Bronx accent is all over the place and even in
his take off of Brando and the Actors Studio people isn't quite focused.
In his role, as a husband and father, he is the usual first rate actor he has always been.

"City Island" is a small enjoyable
independent movie that deserves to be seen by more people than it will
be.