the film concern a classic theme . in fact it concern the theme exploit by batman and from begin to end and but in real data and detail . the mayor of new york and appreciated and very diligent and dynamic and in order to get some project through slightly fast than normal and yield to some pressure from some private business contractor about a criminal drug dealer who should have be send and keep in prison and he pressurize the judge in his turn to set him free on probation in spite of a negative probation report that disappears but be not destroy and be it only because of the political value it represent . and what be to happen happens and a few people and include a black schoolboy be kill in a shoot out between a police detective and that criminal . the city may explode because of it represent racial tension because of the black school boy and social tension because of the insecurity such criminal free to roam around and go on with their criminal activity represent to the public . unluckily the film do not show that tension very well and follow the investigation of the first deputy mayor who want to find out the truth and do find it out . but along the way a few witness be kill and and those who have play some role in the whole business be force to retire ( the judge ) and to end their career and life ( the contractor or the contractor go between ) and a public officer who be ready to deliver the disappeared probation report and and some shady character after he provide some crucial information . the mayor himself retire and take a long vacation while but the main interest of the film be in the exploration of the contortion the mayor be do to cover up the problem and the contortion he remember have do in the past that lead to the mistake about this probation case . the political philosophy that nothing be pure white or pure black and that everything be grey which be never comfortable to decision maker be invoke a an excuse for wrong but profitable decision . we be not speak of necessary compromise to get to some consensus in some domain that be crucial to public interest . we be speak of consider a less important to take a bad decision about some petty or supposedly petty criminal than some infrastructure or economic project in the city . that be not typical of new york . that be true in any mayoral office . it be just more significant in quantity and in quality in a big metropolitan area like new york and of course in a city or country where police department be municipal and be control by political imperative . the young deputy mayor be thus push the old mayor out of the way and and he derail his ambition to be the governor of new york in order to become the president of the u . the mayor be perfect due to the embodiment al pacino offer u since he be able to express ten minute of dialogue with one facial expression that make the whole dialogue useless . i find the end slightly mushy with the ex deputy mayor campaigning in his own name . that seem to mean that he be so attached to justice because he saw his chance to push the mayor out of his own way . hence he be not good than all the others and just still too young in his ambition . dr jacques coulardeau and university paris dauphine and university paris 1 pantheon sorbonne and university versailles saint quentin en yvelines .