Based on the novel Tainted Evidence by former NYPD officer Robert Daley, this movie finds director and writer Sidney Lumet (Prince of the City, Serpico, Network, The Wiz) looking into corruption within the police itself.

Detectives Liam Casey (Ian Holm) and Joey Allegretto (James Gandolfini) have been watching Jordan Washington (Shiek Mahmud-Bey) forever and now they have the tip that allows them to knock on his door. He answers with a blast of machine gun fire that wounds Casey. He runs and kills two cops.

In response, Liam’s son Sean Casey (Andy Garcia) is given the case instead of the older Elihu Harrison (Colm Feore). In a case where he goes against Sam Vigoda (Richard Dreyfuss) Sean argues that Washington deserves to go to jail. Vigoda agrees that he’s a killer but claims that the cops were corrupt and coming to murder his client.

Sean becomes the new District Attorney and begins dating one of Vigoda’s clerks, Peggy Lindstrom (Lena Olin). He soon learns that the cop that Washington said was behind everything has been killed. As a former police officer and the son of a cop, all of this corruption puts him in the middle of many agenda and lies.

Dreyfuss’ role is loosely based on attorney William Kunstler, who defended Larry Davis, a drug dealer who shot six cops, claimed that the cops were selling drugs and wanted him dead. The Manhattan District Attorney who opposed him, Robert Morgenthau, may have inspired Ron Leibman’s role of Morgenstern.

I don’t watch many crime dramas, but I know that Lumet is a talent. This is well-made and even had three different endings at one point.

The Arrow Video blu ray of Night Falls On Manhattan has a new 2K remaster from the original negative by Arrow Films; two archive commentaries, one from director Sidney Lumet and one with Andy Garcia and Ron Leibman and producers Josh Kramer and Thom Mount; The Directors: Sidney Lumet; on-set interviews with Lumet, Garcia, Dreyfuss, Olin, Holm and Leibman; behind-the-scenes footage; a trailer; TV commercials; limited edition packaging featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tom Ralston and an illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Nick Clement and original production notes.

You can buy this from MVD.