Reteaming with Sea of Love director Becker, Pacino plays a popular New York Mayor who becomes implicated in political corruption when deputy mayor John Cusack finds that a child’s death in shootout crossfire has ramifications that reach the heights of political and mob power. The murderers’ row of screenwriters includes Bo Goldman, Nicholas Pileggi, Paul Schrader, and real-life former deputy mayor Ken Lipper; the cast includes Danny Aiello and opera great Roberta Peters as husband and wife.