State of Grace

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.

Simply put, this movie is perfect. I live in NYC and the general air of it is caught perfectly on film. The people, the places, everything. I especially like the bluish tint used over a lot of the film. It definitely adds to the mood. The performances are incredible, even Burgess Meredith in the couple of minutes that he has onscreen. Sean Penn and Ed Harris together create an unbelievable amount of tension. I have to give them both kudos and especially Robin Wright, who turns in an excellent performance as the frustrated love interest who's connection to the life follows her no matter how far uptown she moves. No surprise when I say that Gary Oldman takes the cake for this one. He manages to outshine everyone around him, just like he did in the Professional. His performance is the driving force behind this movie and it is worth watching just to catch this legend in the making in one of his earlier roles. I cannot find one flaw in this movie and the slow motion finale is among the top five ending sequences ever. Every viewing reveals something else, something to make you appreciate this film even more. Catch this one if you haven't seen it, you won't be disappointed. My only regret is that I didn't see it while it was in theatrical release. One of the best gangster flicks, period. Rating: ***** out of *****.

All the while as I was watching this, and especially during Gary Oldmans scenes...all I could see is Heath Ledgers inspiration for his Joker character. Sid Vicious is nothing next to Jackie. But I get why nobody talked about this movie...not now, not in the '90s. It came out at the same time as Goodfellas...it didn't stand a chance.

But man, Gary Oldman was all out. He really is one of the greats. And beside him so many other greats in this hidden gem from 30 years ago: Robin Wright, Ed Harris, Sean Penn, John Turturro, a young John C. Reilly. With a roster like this it really deserves a viewing. And the story in not bad either, it could have been tighter and a little more sophisticated but you can really follow it easily. Comparisons with Donnie Brasco and The Departed or Infernal Affairs are obvious but this one was before all of them. What does that tell you?

This is what happens when you have a great story but you don't have a great director. It is a forgotten film but remade by much better directors with a much tighter script, that is not so telegraphed.

I'm shocked that I've been a film fan for many years, and have only just seen this gem! In a world where The Godfather and Goodfellas are at the top of most people's lists of favourites, it's hard to believe that a film as strong as State of Grace could be so criminally under seen. The film is about love, friendship and betrayal; and takes place in New York's infamous Hell's Kitchen. The fact that it was released in the same year as Martin Scorsese's more acclaimed 'Goodfellas' probably didn't do it many favours; but if you ask me, this is the better film. Boasting a strong cast, director Phil Joanou's film follows Irish-American Terry Noonan as he returns home after an absence of ten years. He soon hooks up with his old friends, including Jackie and his brother Frankie; who is now the head of the Irish mafia. However, it doesn't take long before Terry's rekindled relationship with his old friends and his new loyalties to another party become at odds with one another, and our hero soon finds himself torn between the two.

State of Grace has all the violence, foul language and hot-headed characters that are part and parcel of this sort of film; but at its core is a very well worked plot, bolstered by some great characterisation. The characters are the main focus point in this film, and it's through their motivations that the plot is allowed to move. A film that puts so much focus on its characters needs a strong cast in order to work, and this film certainly has that. Sean Penn takes the lead role and delivers an early version of the strong lead performance that would go on to earn him high praise from the critics. He is supported by the underrated Ed Harris, who grows on me more and more every time I see him, in the film's most level-headed role - but the real star of the show is Gary Oldman. This actor has the ability to completely steal any film that he's in, and he really does stand out here; delivering what is surely one of his all-time best performances. Familiar faces such as John Turturro, John C. Reilly and Robin Wright Penn do well; but it's the main trio that take home all the acting plaudits. Hell's Kitchen is beautifully brought to the screen in the most downtrodden manner possible, and the music and atmosphere combine with the shockingly realistic violence to ensure that the film is always gritty and unrelenting. State of Grace comes with high recommendations.

You don't need to be a film genius to realise the gangster thriller is as old as cinema itself, although by the Seventies, it was looking a little ragged around the edges.

The Godfather revitalised the genre and then things grew quiet again in the land of wise talking hoods and their molls.

Hollywood has always been a place where trends mean a host of movies with the same theme all opening within a few months of each other. After body swap comedies and underwater thrillers in the late Eighties, the turn of the Nineties saw the turn of the post modern gangster drama.

So we had a third helping of The Godfather, Goodfellas, Billy Bathgate, Mobsters, the sublime Miller's Crossing and one of the best of the bunch - State of Grace.

The drama centres on a band of low-level Irish-American hoods who operate in the Hell's Kitchen area of New York City. Rising rents are forcing them out of the neighbourhood, so needless to say, yuppies are not their favourite breed.

Sean Penn is Terry Noonan, a New York cop who used to live in the area, and has been on the road for a few years.

Now he's back and glad to see his old mate Jackie Flannery (Gary Oldman). But inflitrating his band of ne'er do wells soon leads to unbearable dramatic tension and a finale which will leave you hooked.

While Sean has always been an okay actor, Gary blows him off the screen as Flannery, the Irish American gangster who keeps severed hands in his fridge so he can use the fingerprints on his firearms.

Yes, really.

Before Oldman started making big budget confections such as Lost in Space, The Fifth Element and Air Force One, he really proved himself in roles such as this.

A self-confessed alcoholic, he never let the booze get in the way of delivering a knockout performance - although by the time he made the dreadful Scarlet Letter, Gary decided to give the sauce a rest and concentrate on his acting.

One of the reasons that Oldman is one of the most sought after actors in the world is his utterly manic style mixed with a conviction that can chill you to the bone.

Although his performance here isn't quite as focused as corrupt DEA officer, Norman Stansfield in Leon, there's still enough menace in Flannery to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention.

For example: There's a scene in which Flannery takes Noonan along one night when he burns down a construction office on a site that will soon be a yuppie apartment building. Oldman's character decides to make arson fun by pouring the petrol between himself and the door - and then see if he can run through it without killing himself.

Yes, Noonan really is that unhinged but while some actors would have used such pyrotechnics as a dramatic crutch, Gary makes you believe the scene was shot for real.

The supporting cast is also pretty good. Ed Harris has always been excellent value for money in The Abyss and The Rock. Here he is on fine form as the mob leader, and Jackie's brother, Frankie, who attempts to reign in his errant sibling. While the only woman in the film, Robin Wright, is wasted as the love interest, don't worry girls. This is not just a film for the lads.

Ennio Morricone's haunting score perfectly accentuates Phil Joanou's direction and as the title suggests, there is a state of grace to the drama which makes it one of the most under rated big screen gems of the last decade.

Written by Dennis McIntyre (his only screenplay sadly) and photographed by the legendary Jordan Cronenweth of Blade Runner fame, this dark fairytale of New York will haunt many for weeks to come.