Stato di grazia

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

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.

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.

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.

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 *****.