Film Review
'Sleepers' a thought-provoking tale
By Jason TaylorStaff Writer
"It was a place
of innocence ruled by corruption"--one of the many memorable quotes in
"Sleepers." With an incredible cast
including Kevin Bacon, Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Brad Pitt, Jason
Patric, Brad Renfro and Minnie Driver, "Sleepers" has kicked off the fall
movie season in style. During a fall in which films like "The First Wives
Club" and "The Ghost and the Darkness" have led the pack, "Sleepers" has
been the first hard-core drama to hit the screens."Sleepers," directed by
Barry Levinson, is an adaptation of the allegedly nonfictional book of the
same name by Lorenzo Carcaterra. The film's acting, although an initial
draw, is not the ultimate prize gained in seeing the film. The story earns
that honor with its tale of revenge and abuse set in New York City.The film has been quite
overblown in its production and hyped in Tinseltown, but "Sleepers" is
definitely an amazing film. The story is divided between two time periods.
In the first, a period in the mid-'60s, we see the tale of four young boys
growing up in "Hell's Kitchen," a racially mixed lower-class neighborhood
in New York City.The childhood cast of Geoff
Wigdor, Joe Perrino, Jonathan Tucker and Brad Renfro (of recent "The
Client" fame) is phenomenal. The cast of four youngsters intrigues the
audience, drawing it into the development of each individual character. The
young actors, mostly newcomers, shine in portraying their relationships and
ideals. All four of these boys will probably be seen in other upcoming
pictures and only time will tell if they will last as stars.The major role model for
these young boys is a local Catholic priest, played by Robert DeNiro in a
substantial performance. As the only actor in both segments of the film,
DeNiro is the link between the childhood innocence and the corrupted future
of the young boys. When a simple childhood prank turns deadly, the four are
faced with considerable punishment--a stay in the Wilkinson home for boys.
But the punishment is made more severe by illegal operations within the
detention facility.In this facility, Kevin
Bacon reverses roles; the actor who played the victim in "Murder in the
First" becomes a warden in "Sleepers." His performance is superb and easily
one of his best. As the warden he abuses his powers and scars the young
boys for life. After these tales of
illegality, the film brings us to closer to present-day in 1981. In this
time setting, the revenge story comes into play and the film takes on the
courtroom atmosphere that has been so successful in films like "A Few Good
Men."Enter the rest of the
extremely hyped cast: Hoffman, Pitt and Patric. The fantastic feature of
this movie is that no one character gets enough on-screen time to make him
a major player whose close-ups we get sick of halfway through the feature.
The film's inherently controversial story is played out during the second
half of the movie, in which everything comes together. Hoffman and Patric
both give decent performances, while Pitt gives a performance that is
deserving of recognition. Although Pitt's performance in "Sleepers" is not
as emotional or heartfelt as most would like to see out of him, this film
stands as a stepping stone to propel Pitt even further into Hollywood
stardom.To top it off, John
Williams composed the score. A dark and fitting background theme through
the entire movie and the title song make the film's music another statement
about the subject of lost innocence. The music carries the story along,
linking the beginning to the end. One can only watch the film and compare
the characters' hardships to one's own. Absolutely superb for a
Hollywood big-budget movie, "Sleepers" should not be missed. Disturbing in
its nature and intriguing in its dramatization, its intense subject
horrifies the viewer into a state of disbelief. However, the film is not
gruesome enough that anyone should be turned away. After seeing the film,
everyone should walk away thinking about this film for a long time to come.
A-"Sleepers" is now playing nationwide.