Sleepers
(1996)
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Tommy, John, Michael, and Shakes are four young teenage punks growing up in the streets of Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen in the mid-1960s. When these four friends pull a prank that that goes awry, they find themselves serving time at the Wilkinson School for Boys, where they are repeatedly and sadistically violated and tortured by four guards--the most menacing being Noles, portrayed by Kevin Bacon. Fifteen years later, the foursome is still dealing with the emotional repercussions of their abuse. Tommy (Billy Crudup) and John (Ron Eldard) have become common criminals, and when they spot Noles in a local watering hole they can't pass up the chance for revenge. It's up to Shakes (Jason Patric), a low-profile newspaper employee, and Michael (Brad Pitt), a lawyer with the district attorney's office, to save their friends while keeping the details of their tortured childhoods secret. Dustin Hoffman appears as Danny Snyder, and Robert De Niro stars as Father Bobby, the local neighborhood priest who is as comfortable on the streets or in a bar as he is behind the pulpit. Based on the allegedly true story by Lorenzo Carcaterra, the film is directed by Barry Levinson (DINER, RAIN MAN). |
With its powerhouse cast and A-list director (Barry Levinson), this drama is long and exudes importance and integrity. So why does it come across as bogus and too hot under the dog collar? Though based on an admittedly controversial autobiography, the plot mechanism and its moral stance — that violent revenge is fully justified — is not totally believable. The story concerns four teenagers who are brought up by a priest. When a foolish prank causes a near-fatal accident, the youths are sent to jail where they are repeatedly abused by the guards. Years later, they plot revenge. The big themes pile up, but Levinson keeps the story rolling and vividly evokes the hothouse atmosphere of New York's Hell's Kitchen. And the cast is truly impressive: Robert De Niro as the priest, Dustin Hoffman as a lawyer, Kevin Bacon as a prison guard, and Brad Pitt and Jason Patric as two of the now grown-up abused children. It's often impressive, but always a bit suspect.