Rating: 
Summary: Big Box Office Draws do not a Great Movie make...
Review: I went out and bought this dvd used, for about five dollars. Here are ten - Count `em - (10) observations:
1. When the Ron Eldard and Billy Crudup characters confront the Kevin Bacon Character in a Hell's Kitchen tavern near the middle of the story, "Sleepers" is absolutely electric. This scene is worth the price of the dvd alone. (Would the two hoods have killed the former reformatory guard in this manner? Probably not, but what is shown makes for better theater, and an easier transition.)
2. Alas, "Sleepers" does not continue with the same sort of intensity as the above-mentioned murder scene. The story begins and moves along at an even pace, but once the trial of the Eldard and Crudup characters begins, the story becomes more ambiguous and ends rather abruptly.
3. Which brings us to the foundation and integrity of the film: The story appears to be mostly believable up to the above-mentioned murder. After that, it gets pretty dicey.
4. Also, the timeline in "Sleepers" is sort of weird. The characters seem to have been born around 1950 - 1952, but are still preteen kids by 1967 or 1968, which, judging from the background music ("Alone Again Or" by Love) appears to be when they were sent to the boy's reformatory. By 1981, which is when the killing of the Bacon Character takes place, they are all supposed to be in their mid-twenties.
5. A City or County Prosecutor in his mid-twenties, even in New York, is rather rare. Maybe he might have had some type of connection with some alderman or some old Irish Democrat, but if he did, he would never have been sent to the reformatory in the first place. Anyway, Brad Pitt looked like he was about ninteen when this film was made.
6. Robert DeNiro played himself with his "Regular New York Guy" routine, but his character's motives for lying under oath was too contrived. I'm not saying that a priest would be incapable of doing something like this; After all, beside having dedicated their live to the pursuit of spirituality, priests are human beings as well and vulnerable to the same feelings about situations that we all face from time to time. However, under the given circumstances, this sort of "feel good" ending was slightly unbelievable and too gimmicky.
7. The popular music sprinkled throughout the soundtrack really does not fit what was happening visually in the film. I was also surprised to find that the soundtrack CD only contained the background music. "Walk Like a Man" by the Four Seasons, which was so prominently used in the film, never made it to the soundtrack CD.
8. It's hard to believe that so many good actors were assembled for this film. Dustin Hoffman, DeNiro, Minnie Driver, Brad Pitt, Jason Patrick and all the rest of the cast did their part to live up to the billing. This all-star cast was what probably saved "Sleepers". With lesser actors, one wonders what the final outcome would have been.
9. "Sleepers" is not a bad film, it's just not a great one. This is the sort of thing that happens when you get three or more big box office draws working the same project. The final product appears to be mediocre, because it can't possibly live up to the advance billing.
10. I wish Levinson had made more of the tavern murder scene throughout the film, i.e. flashbacks, different camera angles, etc. Eldard and Crudup, along with the direction of this scene are simply amazing. They were right on target with their portrayal of two young hoods.
Bonus comment: Why do directors like Levinson persist in trying to portray old Mafia Dons as wise, stoic old men? Most of these guys would just as soon kill you as look at you...
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful movie, excellent transfer, appalling DVD
Review: I'm not going to go into the details of this movie much. From reading the reviews on this site, you either like it, or you don't. Frankly, I very seldom like any movie made in the last 20 years or so...but this one really grabbed me and kept my attention. All of the actors came across as very believable characters...something sorely lacking in most movies. The boys, especially, played their parts wonderfully.
The transfer of the film was great...clear, with little grain or other problems. About my only complaint in this area would be the inconsistent sound level. Some sound effects, such as the screaming subway train, would be speaker-rattling with the volume at the proper level for the dialogue.
The worst problem with this DVD, however, is the fact that it is a "flipper". For a movie of only 2-1/2 hours, this is inexcusable. Not only that, the transitions for the end of one side and the beginning of the other are extremely abrupt. Though I can't remember from seeing the movie in the theatre, it certainly appears something was truncated.
4 stars for the movie, 4 for the transfer, 1 for the DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Not your usual childhood growing pains
Review: Sometimes compassionate but mostly hard, riveting. True story of late `60s Hells Kitchen kids, whose horseplay takes an unexpected turn, resulting in reform school, where they are abused. Ultimately a tale of intricate revenge--and devastation. A must.
Rating:
Summary: Gut Wrenching
Review: While I have seen many movies that were incredibly entertaining and many that were heart wrenching, I have seen very few movies that were gut wrenching.
This is one of them.
What's the difference between "heart" and "gut" wrenching? A heart wrenching story makes me want to cry. A gut wrenching story makes me want to vomit.
In this case, that's not a bad thing.
I understand that this movie came under fire for the protagonists' machinations towards revenge. I see that and can understand that some may see the movie as supporting such actions. Desiring revenge in something I have, over the years, become very wary of. I feel uncomfortable when I give so much negative thought and emotion to someone.
However, this is still an incredibly powerful movie. The story is tough and taut, the acting is incredible (even the younger actors). And, in the end, it impressed on me more good than ill.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: This movie has been out for years and somehow I had missed it. I picked it up recently at the movie store and boy it gives new meaning to the term "renter".Let me begin by stating that the film was mildly entertaining, thus the two stars I have given it. However, the rest is down hill. The overriding problem with this movie is the contrived plot. This could have been a serious drama, with excellent actors, about horendous child abuse, but it was reduced to a second rate revenge plot, that wasn't even convincing. The court scenes were pure non-sense, no Judge in his right mind would allow a trial to unfold like that, I haven't seen a confession from a witness like that since the old Perry Mason episodes on TV, did anyone else want to yell at this guy and remind him of his 5th amendment rights. I'm not even American and I could have figured that one out! The young actors were very good, but the story was weak. Some have described the movie as brutal yet what we actually are presented with is a lot of voice over and flashing around. I agree with one other reviewer that a much more compelling and realistic movie concerning institutional abuse was the Boy's of St. Vincent. In that film we feel the victims pain, see the crushed lives and see justice done in a court room, but not in some contrived plot. Deniro's character also troubled me. I like Deniro a lot but I was not convinced that this priest would throw away all of his ethics and lie to protect a murderer in this revenge as morality play. Perhaps I could have been convinced but this movie did not convince me that this faithful priest would participate in this crime. The actual DVD is also a disappointment with a double sided format that needs to be flipped half way through. If you want to see this movie I would suggest you rent it.
Rating:
Summary: Ticket stubs to a Knicks Game...
Review: ....you'll never quite get over how they made 'this' movie a classic. This is one of those gripping stories from beginning to end. While no way excusing what the kids did to get in that juvie prison, they did not deserve to be treated so brutally there. You feel like you could have pulled the trigger on Bacon's sadistic prison guard yourself. And Dustin Hoffman? To me he'll always be an actor playing the fringe type characters--Ratso, Raymond, Tootsie--like this burnt-out lawyer hired by the boys to lose to prosecuting attorney Pitt. Minnie Driver...I love that voluptuous Brit, anyhoo...play accomplice to the Hell's Kitchen crew of friends who essentially fight the system which made them what they've become. They movie shows how they beat the system however briefly. It's a good movie that I wonder how I missed when it initially came out. If you see it, I promise you will be moved by it.
Rating:
Summary: The revenge of Monte Christ is back!
Review: This is one of the more intersenting film inyears that I have ever seen . Levinson has made a movie in which we can enjoy every little detail and meanwhile to appreciate the broad gusto and the amazing script that surrounds this dark story .
Four kids , an accident a twist of fate : The hell kitchen will be the mouth of the tunnel that bitter stage will become them in disturbed man , and their lives will never the same .
The first recognizement is obviously to that legendary actor who does not live with us anymore: Vittorio Gassman , his role is secondary but his presence literally covers all the screen and shades the others .
Bacon is flamboyant as the saddistic police , he really makes you to hate this character his miserability and behavior acting is played with naturality without any drop of effectism .
De Niro as the modern priest is excellent . ( This is his third role as priest ) .
Levinson makes a camera work as the Gods . There are several sequences which proves that statement .
The second part when they have grown up allows to Brad Pitt and Jason Patric to build the merciless and meticulous plan who will work out to perfection .
The final is more than predictable , but the echoes of the Count still keeps beating .
Rating:
Summary: Supporting Characters Saved the Movie
Review: Boys from hell's kitchen get in jail. Tortured and raped by guards. Grow up and seek a Monte-Christo revenge. The plot is good, if a little bit too straightforward. The most interesting character in the movie by far is Father Bobby (De Niro), a 'cool' priest who is as comfortable beating up an abusive father as preaching. There's Fat Mancho who gives out street wisdom to kids; Danny Snyder (Dustin Hoffman), the lawyer who mutters as if to himself in court. These characters keep the movie interesting. The boys themselves, however, have little individuality. And like all coming-of-age movies (American Graffiti, Stand By Me, October Sky) there has to be oldies playing, and the number of boys has to be 4. Young Carol is an underdeveloped character whom the director expects the audience to remember later on. The prison guards (Kevin Bacon, Terry Kinney) do what the plot expects them to do, and King Benny provides simple mob flick entertainment. The grown-up boys developed some characters but, ironically, even with the Monte Christo plot, one cannot help but get the sense that the boys, whose lives would have otherwise been very unextraordinary, were saved by the dramatic event.
|
