The first clip from director Allen Hughes’ (The Book of Eli) political thriller Broken City has been released.  The film stars Mark Wahlberg as a private detective who is hired to identify the lover of a powerful politician’s wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones).  Russell Crowe plays the morally ambiguous politician, and this first clip highlights a short scene in which Crowe asserts his power over Wahlberg’s character.  Word of warning: The politician who hires you to spy on his wife's lover is probably not a nice guy.

Hit the jump to watch the clip.  The film also stars Jeffrey Wright.  Broken City opens on January 18th.

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Here’s the official synopsis for Broken City:

In a broken city rife with injustice, ex-cop Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) seeks redemption–and revenge–after being double-crossed and then framed by its most powerful figure, the mayor (Russell Crowe). Billy’s relentless pursuit of justice, matched only by his streetwise toughness, makes him an unstoppable force–and the mayor’s worst nightmare.