Mad City
Tags: tragedy

Plot synopsis:
After being sacked from his job at a museum, former security guard Sam Baily returns to the place with a shotgun and dynamite and takes his former boss Mrs. Banks and a number of children (at the museum on a school field trip) as hostages. Local television journalist Max Brackett is in the museum using the restroom after an interview with the curator about financial difficulties. He becomes directly involved in the hostage situation, acting as Baily's intermediary to the outside world and the police.
Baily accidentally shoots a friend of his, Cliff, who's still working there as a security guard, sending him to the hospital. He later fires the weapon again, frightening the children and becoming increasingly unstable as he takes caffeine pills to stay awake. Along with the young intern coworker Laurie among the growing media circus outside, Brackett reports the inside story exclusively on television, reviving his career. By being free to come and go, he negotiates with a national network and its star news anchorman, Kevin Hollander, with whom Brackett has an unhappy history.
Baily wants the police to let him return home to his wife and kids, refusing to accept that he's going to jail. Brackett, on the other hand, makes a deal rather than let Hollander have the story, prompting Hollander to publicly accuse Brackett of prolonging the crisis and endangering the children. Laurie then betrays Brackett, proving that, like him, she's willing to do whatever it takes to further her own career.
When his friend Cliff dies, Baily starts to realize he's lost everything. Baily and Brackett allow the situation to worsen until the police finally have had enough, issuing a five-minute ultimatum to Baily for release of the hostages. Baily lets the children and Mrs. Banks go. He also sends out Brackett to try to convince the police to put down their guns so he could personally usher out Baily. But rather than face prison and his wife Baily locks the museum doors on Brackett, who's outside trying to get the police to listen.
Brackett tries to get him to come out, but Baily ignores him. Brackett is unaware that Baily has decided to set off his explosives, committing suicide. The blast knocks Brackett off his feet and into the parking lot, sending debris everywhere. As reporters surround Brackett to ask about Baily, all he can say is, "We killed him," referring to how the media handled the situation.

Review: That kind of "reporting" should be exposed and ridiculed.Whatever, you can enjoy this film for the acting alone with Dustin Hoffman, John Travolta, Alan Alda, Robert Prosky, Mia Kirschner and Ted Levine.
Here, it's a museum, and a man is in a predicament something like Al Pacino was in that film except Travolta's character here is totally innocent.The screenwriters added bit of humor to this involving story and that made it even better.
Instead of going for overkill like the pathetic "Natural Born Killers," this movie uses dark comedy, brilliant performances, and genuine thrills to create one of the most clever and powerful social commentaries to be seen in film in years.
If you're expecting a typical Hollywood thriller with a formula plot and a nice, neat ending then you'll be disappointed, but if you're looking for a smart, powerful film with brilliant performances by Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta, then I would recommend this movie.
MAD CITY is exciting and thrilling from the first scene.A talented success-hunting reporter is sent by his boss to a totally not interesting job: to do a story about a museum with financiary problems.
Upset and defeated, DUSTIN HOFFMAN's character goes there and has the chance of running into what will prove to be the story of his life: a guy enters the museum and takes everyone inside hostage.
Probably the best thing about MAD CITY are the actors: Travolta and Hoffman are great in their roles and they add an extra-value to the movie by the way they act.What if you really need money to support your family and you just got fired?
And the ending is the only one possible.Costa-Gavras does a great job with this movie and manages to mantain balance between the characters and the action.
We come to feel really bad for the Travolta character; the screenwriters' making him such a simpleton is, I'll admit, a bit manipulative, but as manipulations go it's a good one and a smart one - it lets us see the toll in human terms of the media frenzy.
For me, that rings as hollow satire; "Mad City" by truly trying to examine and get us to think about (not just laugh at) the media's power is miles away the better film..
In `Missing' he succeeded in getting Jack Lemmon to play a convincing role, and in `Mad City' he managed to get John Travolta to carry out the best role I have seen him in: his playing of a deranged simple worker real mad at having lost his job is truly memorable.
Dustin Hoffman ably supports but without exceeding himself overly.However, rather than the actors in themselves, it is the story itself which is more important and its message: getting the story on your TV news programme before your competitors is much more important than any other considerations  such as in this case, a group of schoolchildren held hostage with a shotgun aimed at them.
The forces battle inside him through out the film.John Travolta was on the money but not stellar as Sam Bailey, a recently unemployed security guard on the cusp of losing everything that he owns.
Costa-Gavras is known as a political director and the most part of his movies are intriguing and makes us thinking about our way of see/accept the political facts in world.
In this movies, two different lives had being linked by a casual meeting in a museum: A reporter (Dustin Hoffman) whose career was marked by a mistake made in a network, is trying to "resurrect" his work making a report about a financial scandal when he's sent to make a report in a museum.
At the same time, a guard of the museum (John Travolta), fired some days before because of cut of budget, goes there trying to have a conversation with the manager and convince her to give his job back.
Besides the excellent performances of Hoffman and Travolta, Costa-Gavras makes once more, a very smart movie that can't be missed..
And Travolta's performance as the wretched ex-guard - a far from simple simpleton - is a revelation: The man is magnificent - Oscar-worthy - the great Hoffman is forced to accept a supporting role!
After all, it features a great direction by Costa-Gavras, good performances (especially from the lead actors), and an interesting plot.
It occurs to me that a possible reason for a restrained vote might be that many people are perhaps not ready to admit that what is shown in the film is the naked reality: In other words, it is difficult for some to swallow that today the events are not simply portrayed, but are actually shaped by the media, and especially the TV; the news people can make someone a hero, and at the next moment make him a hated man; they can produce a big story out of nothing, and they can sweep a significant event under the carpet without anyone noticing.Costa-Gavras illustrates this vividly in "Mad City".
Both Hoffman and Travolta are very convincing in their roles, the first as the ruthless journalist who starts to see the light, and the second as the confused, victim-cum-criminal.I believe "Mad City" is a movie that one has to view with an open mind.
Mad City has an almost identical storyline to Billy Wilder's 1951 classic Ace in the Hole, still the best movie about media ethics..
That kind of seals his fate.As good as Dustin Hoffman is the film really belongs to John Travolta as the desperate security guard, a slow witted kind of man who really hasn't thought through what he's doing.
He and Hoffman hate each other and Alda's attempts to spin the story his way and Hoffman's countermoves are what really set up the inevitable climax.Mad City is not very nice look at the news business and what people will do to get a story.
This movie creates a good example of that happening, and really goes in-depth to show the audience how the media salivates over a story that has been sensationalized.
I think John Travolta gives one of his best performances and Dustin Hoffman is amazing as always and also a great supporting cast.
I find it interesting that most movie critic reviews of this film are not very good, it makes me wonder if that has something to do with it's content.
The film focuses on the media and the harm it is capable of causing by at times stirring the pot or reporting then news the way they want it be seen.
Costa-Gravas' film 'Mad City' tells the story of an idiot who decides to turn around his life by taking hostages; needless to say, it doesn't end well.
Dustin Hoffman is borderline terrible as he lazily mutters his way through the entire movie acting almost as bored as the poor unfortunate audience, as if I had paid money to see this then I'd feel more than a little cheated.
He may be likable, but he's still a criminal.Dustin Hoffman plays the one-time superstar reporter who stumbles upon this story and proceeds to gain Travolta's confidence---even managing to leave the secured museum whenever he pleases.
An unoriginal, uninspiring film that fails to showcase the talents of both John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman.
By the end of the film, the viewer is painfully aware of what one writer has described as the irrationality of rationality.Mad City is directed by Costa Gavras who is known for political thrillers such as Z and Missing.
Dustin Hoffman plays a TV news reporter who has fallen from grace with the networks, and is sent to the museum to cover what he thinks will be a rather mundane story.
Hard-hitting ratings-obsessed investigative TV reporter Max Brackett (Dustin Hoffman) is sent to the Museum of Natural History to do a story about its financial difficulties.
Recently fired security guard Sam Baily (John Travolta) locks down the museum and takes everybody including a group of school kids hostage.
Costa-Gavras's Mad City has too many familiar elements ranging from Dog Day Afternoon to Falling Down to Ace in the Hole but something has gone awry in the screenplay as its neither sharp nor with grim humour.John Travolta is Sam Baily a museum security guard that has been laid off sue to budget cuts.
Seething with anger he goes to the museum and holds his boss (Blythe Danner) and a class of visiting school children hostage at gunpoint which recklessly goes off and wounds his form workmate.Also trapped in the museum is Max Brackett (Dustin Hoffman) who sees and opportunity to take advantage by broadcasting on the sly live on the local news.
Before long the FBI takeover from the local police, the major networks come down hard on both Brackett and Bailey and no one is quiet in control as they thought they were.The film is proficiently directed by Costa-Gavras but I expected more rather than a reminder of previous films dealing with a similar subject matter that did it better.Mad City has star power but low wattage..
This film really shows you, much more than others what media people can do, and what they really can be like, like enthusiastic newbie (Kirshner) assigned with journalist, Hoffman on a job, her first, to interview a museum director.
I hope, she likes to wait it out, cause it will be a long one coming, as disgruntled nutter/employee Travolta, takes over the museum, holding a school class hostage, as well as Hoffman, who I guess made a mistake, of going to the bathroom.
Yes, we've seen movies like this before, like Dog Day Afternoon, relying on Hoffman and Travolta to steer the story.
I never felt bored with this, and found this film deliciously entertaining, where the story and plot is kept in check, never veering away, or losing sight of it's objective, with one dynamite finale, tragic, sad, but disturbing too, as for the heartlessness, or some media, especially Kirshner, where at the end, I truly found her attitude sickening.
This is a story of an everyday man, once an air force pilot, quite hard to believe with Travolta's mummy like character (throwing tantrums, e.g. palm slapping the head repeatedly) that this pro does it well, trying to beat the odds and providing for his family, ejected from his job, as to cut down costs.
All of the other actors can't be criticized as badly as Travolta; they probably thought that working with Costa-Gavras was an honor and they are only as good (bad) as the script.
An out of favour reporter (Hoffman) is sent to a Museum to cover a "bit of fluff" story and finds himself in the middle of a great story when a sacked security guard (Travolta) takes some visiting children hostage.
It's a social satire about the media's role in the death of a museum security guard (John Travolta).
The film has striking parallels with Ace in the Hole (1951), and also with The Truman Show (1998) in that both deal with society's manipulation by the media.Hoffmann plays the TV reporter to perfection, and Travolta's performance is distinguished by the fact that this is one of the few roles where he is playing one of the lowly of society.
Once again, Dustin Hoffman gives a great performance as the TV news anchorman who goes to great lengths to make one man's struggle (John Travolta, who plays an idiot convincingly) into a hyped up news event in order to help his own career.
I also thought that both Dustin Hoffman, and John Travolta acted brilliantly, in the deliverance of their characters, and think overall it was an enjoyable, and thought provoking movie, which is worth your while..
It's a well done screen shot of current media coverage, always seeking greater audience no matter how much they're distorting the facts.There are quite a few interesting subtle things to see in this movie, like how easily Max Brackett's (Dustin Hoffman) assistant personality is spoiled as she enters the media system.Definitely a "must see"..
Why watch a movie and stop at scene after scene and say, "That wouldn't REALLY happen!", "The kids wouldn't really play games with THAT guy."The reason we see the wife's anger about the flower bed being trampled on and the media rushing the museum doors every time someone comes out or whatever, we're supposed to be getting the idea that these news reporters are the bad guys here.That aside, I really liked John Travolta in this, though the character was eerily similar to his character in White Man's Burden (another make-you-thinker).
Mad City is indeed a very thought-provoking film with some very brilliant acting from Travolta, Hoffman and even the supporting actors/actresses.
A down with luck TV reporter (Dustin Hoffman) has the gold chance of his life when he finds the story of a lifetime while covering a hostage situation in a museum.
John Travolta plays a fired security who held several kids and a museum director (Blythe Danner) as hostages simply because he wanted his job back.
Here stars the story of "Mad City" and some ponderations on the media role and the ones who watch it, which means, us!Wisely translated in Portuguese as "The Fourth Power" the film directed by Costa Gavras ("Missing", "Z") is satirical without being extremely funny or ridiculous; dramatical without becoming melodramatic; and controversial without being too shocking; criticizes but not that much, pointing its fingers on the media blaming it for being irresponsible and unethical, but where's the criticism towards audiences of this fourth power?
But when you have masterpieces like "Network" or "Ace in the Hole" this film pales a little in comparison.It might not have the same ferocity and originality as his works but it is a great work directed by Costa Gavras, with a great screenplay, nice music and fine acting by Hoffman (who now disowned the film in interviews calling of something I can post here referring to the word "City", yes, he does that with what he calls his bad films, go figure!), Travolta, Blythe Danner, Alan Alda, Ted Levine, Raymond J.
Robert Proskey was born into such roles...The first 2 two kids released were terrified of the assaulting media but loved the man with the gun...When all the kids are released>>>one walks back and says "Thank you SAM"...the stupid ass roof shooters shooting up "Big Indian Bob" in the middle of a great story being told by the man with the gun...Arguably, the best actor of the last 50 years, Dustin Hoffman is pure gold dust but Travolta shines magnificently and...a happy ending was impossible...The ultimate hostage taker is the media!.
And yet even as Mad City isn't something I'd say to a friend "watch this right away, it'll change your life" (that, of course, from Costa-Gravas, would be Z), it's definitely a good view for something on a lazy day or night, or for a minor Dustin Hoffman or (yes) John Travolta craving.
It does happen from time to time.The two stars are in very fine shape here- as far as the script can let them be- as a clear-headed but desperate reporter and a security guard with a heap of bad trouble respectively, who are put into an unintentional hostage situation after Travolta's recently fired museum security guard accidentally shoots a fellow guard and has to hold up a bunch of kids who are in the museum (plus Hoffman, in the bathroom after a boring interview while this happens), and then it turns into a media blitz.
Perhaps there would have been more possibilities if the movie had been made today, when cable news is even more saturated with BS filler, one analysis to the next taking up time from actual other news that could be reported.But, for complaints that can be had with Mad City, and there are more than a few, it's surely watchable Hollywood stuff, and this is thanks to the direction (I really liked the tension when Travolta is telling the kids the Indian ghost story in front of the display in the museum), and a nice roster of supporting/character actors.
If you've never seen a Dustin Hoffman or John Travolta movie before, by all means look elsewhere.
The folk hero is quickly turned into a hate figure , all because the main story was passed on to the main competition.The ending is dramatic , Dustin Hoffman's performance was nothing less than excellent.John Travolta was great in this role , but when I think of this film , the words " Is there anyone out there" takes on a complete new meaning.
Director Costa-Gavras creates a "Mad City", whose protagonist inhabitants, Max Brackett (Dustin Hoffman) and Sam Baily (John Travolta) unexpectedly meet in a twist of events..
Final point the movie was originally cast as Hoffman as the hostage taker and Travolta as the journalist.
This film features nicely crafted performances from its leads John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman.
A very uninteresting story of security guard Sam Bailey (John Travolta)who loses his job and unintentionally takes hostage a museum curator and a group of school children.
Then at the end of the film all the media and the other stuff fell into the right place creating a good movie.
John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman both did a good job, but the whole movie could have been over with in 30 minutes.
When i was reading about it i didn't think it would be my type of movie (even though John Travolta is my favorite actor!) but when i did watch it i thought it was great!
Mad City (1997): Dir: Constantin Costa Gavras / Cast: John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, Mia Kershner, Alan Alda, Ted Levine: Miserable little item that deserves to be tossed in a fireplace.
Dustin Hoffman plays a news anchorman who is inside a museum when John Travolta holds several children and a few adults hostage.
Costa Gavras' "Mad City" sees actor Dustin Hoffman playing Max Brackett, a television reporter who uses a recent news story to boost his own career.