Prince of the City

"The first thing a cop learns is that he can't trust nobody but his partners," Detective Danny Ciello tells an assistant D.A. "I sleep with my wife, but I live with my partners. I will never give them up." From Robert Daley's riveting book about New York City police-corruption investigations, director/cowriter Sidney Lumet's film portrays a squad that pays a terrible price when one in its ranks does just that. Treat Willams (as Ciello, inspired by real-life undercover narcotic cop Robery Leuci), Jerry Orbach, Bob Balaban and Lindsay Crouse give standout performances in this gripping film. Lumet also stands out, garnering the New York Film Critics Best Director Award and an Oscar nomination (iwth Jay Presson Allen) for the screenplay.

• crime
• drama