Sleepers

If you're able to to turn a blind eye to the implausibility of the end, or instead see it as an interpretation of the lengths people will to go to for justice when the system has let them down then, coupled with the very realistic and believable earlier parts of the story, you have a very sad but not uncommon tale centred on abuse, with outstanding performances all round and a genuine reason to take a blood pressure pill to calm yourself down.

Being a big classic De Niro fan I can't believe I missed this movie for so long. Sleepers is a powerful drama that chronicles the story of four boys who are the victims of horrible abuse. When they grow into broken men facing their trauma, the story shifts gears to a revenge story about manipulating a trial to get true justice and closure. The arc of the movie takes you through a litany thoughts and feelings that affect sexual abuse victims over the course of their lives in a powerful way. The courtroom plot is also very compelling, albeit not exactly rife with external conflict. The struggles take place in the characters hearts and minds and the film conveys it beautifully.

If I had to be super critical I'd say the ultimate fates of the four leads lacks punch because we know it from the outset. It's a small complaint though because the road to get there is so compelling. Sleepers is a powerful, sweeping drama that everyone should see at least once.

The first half of the film is really strong and the scene that serves as the transition to the second half (the bar scene) is fantastic. I felt that the the latter half as a whole was a bit of a bubble though: there is a lot of The Count of Monte Cristo (the book that is referenced in the film a lot, check it out if you haven't) -esque revenge build-up but the payoff is a disappointment. For me, there were also slight pacing issues towards the end, along with some tonal choices I wasn't a fan of. Still, I'd say it's a fairly recommendable drama.

Rating: 6/10

This movie is one of the best movies made in a long time. Previous comments seem to focus more on whether or not the story is true and seem to forget the phenomenal story. Who cares if the story is true or not? If it is, it only makes the movie that much more disturbing and heart-breaking. What is the big deal if it is or isn't true? It is still an amazing movie with a great story. Most so-called "classics" are not based on true stories, so what makes this movie any different? OK, now that I have said my peace about my feelings about the authenticity of the story, I can now comment on the actual movie. I can not say enough positive things about the movie. The actors are perfectly casted. I think every single one of them do an outstanding job in their portrayal. The story is heart-wrenching and it does an excellent job of getting its point across without showing or saying too much. This movie deserves more than it got.

Sleeper(1996) is a deeply emotional and brilliant film that was overlooked in 1996. It deals with the past and how events from the past can be instrumential in shaping the present. The movie was very controversial due to the subject matter. I believe that one reason that Sleepers(1996) didn't get the praise it deserved is the film deals with things that were already present in Mean Streets(1973) and Once Upon a Time in America(1984). The first half of the feature reminds me a lot of the flash back sequences from Once Upon a Time in America(1984). Brad Pitt gives what I see as the best performance of his life. What I also like about Sleepers(1996) is that it puts together two of the best actors of their genreation in Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro.