★ 8 / 10
This is a fine film. Loved everything about
Bazzjazz
This is a fine film. Loved everything about it! Great ensemble cast, Sean Penn plays a fantastic role as imbedded mole unto his past ‘hoodlum’ friends. Gary…
This is a fine film. Loved everything about it!
Great ensemble cast, Sean Penn plays a fantastic role as imbedded mole unto his past ‘hoodlum’ friends.
Gary Oldman is outstanding with such intensity and dynamic manic character he plays.
Robin Wright plays the love interest, and you can understand how Penn fell for her (outside of movie)
There’s such great music too.
Brilliant soundtrack!
Merrideth Burgess plays a lovely cameo which must have been one of his last appearances on film.
The st Patrick’s Day Finale is beautifully filmed.
Totally loved the film!!
Seen it more than once!!
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★ 8 / 10
The Westies. State of Grace is directed by
John Chard
The Westies. State of Grace is directed by Phil Joanou and written by Dennis McIntyre. It stars Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright, John Turturo…
The Westies.
State of Grace is directed by Phil Joanou and written by Dennis McIntyre. It stars Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright, John Turturo and John C. Reilly. Music is by Ennio Morricone and cinematography by Jordan Cronenweth.
Terry Noonan (Penn) returns to Hells Kitchen after a number of years away and finds his best pal, Jackie Flannery (Oldman), is a major player in the Irish/American mob being run by his elder brother, Frankie Flannery (Harris). With a love interest rekindled and a secret he dare not reveal, Terry is soon caught in a maelstrom of danger and tested loyalties.
It got lost in the slipstream of Goodfellas, but although it’s not in the same league as Scorsese’s critical darling, State of Grace is a splendid slice of neo-noir gangsterism. The plot is made up of standard genre tropes, divided loyalties, betrayals, kinship, revenge, rivalries, territorial machismo and etc, all of which of course comes laced with spitfire dialogue and sparky violence.
The strengths come with the performances of the lead cast members, the visual flourishes via Cronenweth and Joanou and Morricone’s classical score. Penn and Oldman are forces of nature, the former a ball of emotional turbulence, the latter a hopped up maniac with killer tendencies. Harris as the daddio main man is a moody and malevolent presence, as is Joe Viterelli as mafia boss man Borelli. Wright seems a little out of place in this material, Turturo isn’t used nearly enough, but Reilly scores well with a limited role and Burgess Meredith pops in for a superb cameo.
It doesn’t have originality on its side, but it’s a mightily strong film regardless, with the human drama drawing one in as the tech skills impress across the board. 8/10
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★ 7 / 10
A world of hotheads with diminutive names...and you gotta love it.
lee_eisenberg
Phil Joanou's "State of Grace" had the misfortune of getting released around the same time as Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas", meaning that few people saw it.…
Phil Joanou's "State of Grace" had the misfortune of getting released around the same time as Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas", meaning that few people saw it. While it has similar qualities to Scorsese's movie, Joanou's movie is undeniably it's own thing.Sean Penn plays a cop who returns to New York's Hell's Kitchen after having spent several years on the road. He hooks back up with his volatile friend (Gary Oldman) and inevitably gets involved in the latter's criminal activity.A noticeable focus of the movie is gentrification. The movie got released just as gentrification was becoming widespread and turning the unique neighborhoods into miniature Disneylands. No surprise that the guys do some of the things that they do. And boy does the movie crank up the intensity!Basically, the acting, direction, cinematography and score combine to form one of the most unique gangster movies out there. Nothing is idealized or glossed over here. It's the gritty straight stuff. Definitely worth seeing.In addition to Penn and Oldman, the cast includes Robin Wright, Ed Harris, John Turturro, John C. Reilly, Burgess Meredith and Vincent Pastore. In other words, the movie stars Harvey Milk, Winston Churchill, Princess Buttercup, John McCain, the Jesus, Wreck-It Ralph, the Penguin and Pussy Bonpensiero.
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7.1/10
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