State of Grace
directed by: Phil Janou Starring: Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Ed Harris, Robin Wright, John C. Reilly, John Turturro Synopsis: Terry Noonan (Penn) kills two drug dealers after they try to rip him off. Deciding to hide out in Hells Kitchen, his childhood neighborhood, Terry soon meets up with his old best friend Jackie Flannery (Oldman), his elder brother Frankie (Harris) and their sister, Kathleen, whom he had a fling with previously. Frankie is in the middle of setting up a big deal with the Italian mob, but is finding it increasingly difficult to keep control of his own men. It isn't long before someone is dead and Jackie wants revenge. But who is actually responsible?
Review: Does anyone remember the old Caffreys adverts, where a bunch of Irish descendents are boozing it up in a New York bar, when one of them plays a little ditty on the piano, and all of a sudden they are all thinking about cliched images of the Emerald Isle, a place where none of them have probably even been. Well this movie evokes the same spirit as those ads, but with more swearing and violence. This movie has all the expected Oirish and I-talian caricatures and cliches but beyond that is a smart story of a man trying to find himself and what his purpose in life is. He'd run away from Hells Kitchen because he was afraid of what he'd become but on returning he realised what he'd lost - his friendship with Jackie and his love for Kathleen. What makes it harder for him to accept is that beneath it all he has a dark secret which is slowly tearing him apart. Penn gives the more restrained performance (only just) while Oldman is full-on crazy mode. They work very well together though, with some nice back-and-forth, good natured arguments. It has to be said that Frankie is probably the worst mob-boss in cinematic history. He was thrust to the top after the top two guys "met with an accident" - it's not clear if Frankie had anything to do with it. But Frankie's rackets are all small-change - beating up a bartender for a measly $900. No wonder the I-talians look down on them...
So what is it about this film that makes it an Unseen Classic? For most of the length of this two hour movie, Phil Joanou and cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth film eveything in a very straightforward way, with no bells or whistles (other than some nice tracking shots during a scene in the cemetary). However, the last 10 minutes of the movie produce one of the most memorable shoot-outs ever.
Once Terry Noonan wakes up on a bench at Central Station, things kick off big style. All of a sudden Ennio Morricone's score comes to life. We have some great slow-motion shots of Terry walking through New York, with the St Patricks Day parade in the background. Everything that went before was building to this moment and it certainly doesn't disappoint. Verdict: You'll be entertained by the oirish and I-talian histrionics, two of the best actors playing off each other and a solid thriller storyline. However, what you will remember for a long time afterwards, is the final ten minutes. 7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest) Back to Unseen Classics Back to Home Page
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