Sleepers - Brad Pitt as Michael Sullivan

Description:

Sleepers (1996) is a dramatic movie based on Lorenzo Carcaterra's novel of the same name, which Carcaterra alleges to be a factual account of events suffered by him. This claim remains unproven.

Synopsis:

After a prank gone wrong results in a near-fatal accident, the four boys responsible (played by Brad Renfro, Joseph Perrino, Geoffrey Wigdor, and Jonathan Tucker) are sent to a juvenile detention center, where they are physically and sexually abused by four of the guards, led by Sean Nokes (played by Kevin Bacon).

Years later, two of the boys (played by Ron Eldard and Billy Crudup) come across Nokes in a restaurant, and exact revenge by murdering him. The other two boys (played by Jason Patric and Brad Pitt) enlist the help of their childhood friend (Minnie Driver) and priest (Robert De Niro), and an alcoholic lawyer (Dustin Hoffman) to acquit their friends and expose the actions of the guards and abuses at the center.

The first thing you need to know about Sleepers is that it's based on a novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra that was allegedly based on a true story. The movie repeats this bogus claim, which was attacked and determined by a wide majority to be misleading. Knowing this, Sleepers can be a problematic movie because it's too neat, too clean, too manipulative in terms of legal justice and dramatic impact to be truly convincing. And yet, with its stellar cast directed by Barry Levinson, the movie succeeds as gripping entertainment, and its tale of complex morality--despite a dubious emphasis on homophobic revenge--is sufficiently provocative. It's about four boys in New York's Hell's Kitchen district who are sent to reform school, where they must endure routine sexual assaults by the sadistic guards. Years after their release, the opportunity for revenge proves irresistible for two of the young men, who must then rely on the other pair of friends (Brad Pitt, Jason Patric), a loyal priest (Robert De Niro), and a shabby lawyer (Dustin Hoffman) to defend them in court. Despite the compelling ambiguities of the story, there's never any doubt about how we're supposed to feel, and the screenplay glosses over the story's most difficult moral dilemmas. And yet, Sleepers grabs your attention and pulls you into its intense story of friendship and the price of loyalty under extreme conditions. The movie's New York settings are vividly authentic, and Minnie Driver makes a strong impression as a long-time friend of the loyal group of guys.

Pictures:

Movie Review:

"Sleepers" is a dark and disturbing film. It is one that will leave you thinking about it for some time afterwards. Not only thinking about the film itself, but maybe about the judicial system as we know it as well. It's a story of friendship. It's a story of abuse. It's a story of Revenge!...

Hell's Kitchen, late 1960's, four young teens on a dare, decide to pull off a horrible prank. Their actions nearly cost a man his life, and another his life's work. The court tries them, and sends them off to the "Wilkinson School for Boys" where they are to be "rehabilitated". Here at the school, they find themselves the victims of the most despicable crimes against human beings one could imagine. The guards, primarly led by Nokes, the most evil of all, cruelly abuse the boys physically, mentally and sexually. Their childhood slips away in those terrifying dark nights, and they make a pact never to discuss it again.

Fifteen years later, we now see them as adults. The time spent at the Wilkinson School, has left it's mark on these four men.
Two are bitter, tough, criminal types. One works for a newspaper, and one is a lawyer. All have never forgotten, the wrongs done them, but keep it buried deep inside. Buried deep, until the day Nokes makes the fatal mistake of being in the same restaurant as two of them.As they recognize him, we can feel their anger rising, and they take matters into their own hands.

An intricate plan is set in motion to now use the system that destroyed their lives, to uncover the horrible crimes committed at the school and to free them from the charges against them. The courtroom scenes are intense and edge of your seat drama that really have you thinking. When Nokes got his due, we felt the satisfaction they did, we definitely empathize with them BUT..is an eye for eye justice? ... Even their Priest, who has stood behind them all these years must put his faith to the test, when he is asked to be apart of the plan.

Director Barry Levinson, brings us this intense and powerful drama, one that will stay with you for a long time. Performances by such greats as Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, Robert Deniro, Jason Patric and Bruno Kirby are intense and realisitic. Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver and young performers Brad Renfro and Joseph Perrino, will touch you as well. A haunting score and excellent camera work add to the powerfulness of the film. It is not a film for everyone though, as I mentioned above some scenes are dark and extremely disturbing.

The quality of the DVD is excellent. It is presented in widescreen and Dolby Dig 5.1 Surround. The picture is clear, even in the darker scenes and the muscial score, background and dialouge very good. The only problem is having to turn the disc over about half-way through. This is an intense story, not one that should be interrupted. Other than a theatrical trailer, there are no special features. It may be viewed in French and has subtitles in English, French and Spanish.