Sleepers | | Cast : | Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Jason Patric, Brad Pitt | | Director : | Barry Levinson | | Studio : | Warner Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | October 18, 1996 | | DVD Released Date : | February 03, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 13, 2005 | | Summary | Big Box Office Draws do not a Great Movie Make... | Content
 | I went out and bought this dvd used, for about five dollars. Here are ten - Count `em - (10) observations:
1. When the Ron Eldard and Billy Crudup characters confront the Kevin Bacon Character in a Hell's Kitchen tavern near the middle of the story, "Sleepers" is absolutely electric. This scene is worth the price of the dvd alone. (Would the two hoods have killed the former reformatory guard in this manner? Probably not, but what is shown makes for better theater, and an easier transition.)
2. Alas, "Sleepers" does not continue with the same sort of intensity as the above-mentioned murder scene. The story begins and moves along at an even pace, but once the trial of the Eldard and Crudup characters begins, the story becomes more ambiguous and ends rather abruptly.
3. Which brings us to the foundation and integrity of the film: The story appears to be mostly believable up to the above-mentioned murder. After that, it gets pretty dicey.
4. Also, the timeline in "Sleepers" is sort of weird. The characters seem to have been born around 1950 - 1952, but are still preteen kids by 1967 or 1968, which, judging from the background music ("Alone Again Or" by Love) appears to be when they were sent to the boy's reformatory. By 1981, which is when the killing of the Bacon Character takes place, they are all supposed to be in their mid-twenties.
5. A City or County Prosecutor in his mid-twenties, even in New York, is rather rare. Maybe he might have had some type of connection with some alderman or some old Irish Democrat, but if he did, he would never have been sent to the reformatory in the first place. Anyway, Brad Pitt looked like he was about ninteen when this film was made.
6. Robert DeNiro played himself with his "Regular New York Guy" routine, but his character's motives for lying under oath was too contrived. I'm not saying that a priest would be incapable of doing something like this; After all, beside having dedicated their live to the pursuit of spirituality, priests are human beings as well and vulnerable to the same feelings about situations that we all face from time to time. However, under the given circumstances, this sort of "feel good" ending was slightly unbelievable and too gimmicky.
7. The popular music sprinkled throughout the soundtrack really does not fit what was happening visually in the film. I was also surprised to find that the soundtrack CD only contained the background music. "Walk Like a Man" by the Four Seasons, which was so prominently used in the film, never made it to the soundtrack CD.
8. It's hard to believe that so many good actors were assembled for this film. Dustin Hoffman, DeNiro, Minnie Driver, Brad Pitt, Jason Patrick and all the rest of the cast did their part to live up to the billing. This all-star cast was what probably saved "Sleepers". With lesser actors, one wonders what the final outcome would have been.
9. "Sleepers" is not a bad film, it's just not a great one. This is the sort of thing that happens when you get three or more big box office draws working the same project. The final product appears to be mediocre, because it can't possibly live up to the advance billing.
10. I wish Levinson had made more of the tavern murder scene throughout the film, i.e. flashbacks, different camera angles, etc. Eldard and Crudup, along with the direction of this scene are simply amazing. They were right on target with their portrayal of two young hoods.
Bonus comment: Why do directors like Levinson persist in trying to portray old Mafia Dons as wise, stoic old men? Most of these guys would just as soon kill you as look at you...
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| Rating | | | Date | May 06, 2005 | | Summary | EXCELLENT MOVIE/Guaranteed to shed a tear!!! | Content
| Sleepers brings to the screen the story of four boys from Hell's Kitchen, N.Y., in the late 60's, who end up at Wilkinson School for Boys, where they are systematically and repeatedly abused by several of the prison guards.
It is a film about human relations, hope, and second chances, but most importantly about trust, innocence, friendship, divine justice, and inner strength.
All the actors, (Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon and Dustin Hoffman among others) without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few tears. Consequently, it is an entertaining film that can be watched over and over again.
The film is simple enough, but does a great job of describing people's every day lives and the problems they face. It just goes to show that simplicity is often far better than complexity, when trying to present issues of a human nature.
I strongly disagree with the "official reviewer," Jeff Shannon, about the film's "dubious emphasis on homophobic revenge." No further comment is needed...
The setting, the plot, the dialogues and the music are all wonderful!
In short, Sleepers is a movie definitely worth watching and one to seriously consider adding to your movie collection! |
| Rating | | | Date | December 24, 2004 | | Summary | This movie will make you think.... | Content
| Sleepers is a very powerful and disturbing movie. It chronicles the life of four boys growing up in "Hell's Kitchen", New York in the 1960s. It is told through the eyes of one of the boys, "Shakes" (Joe Perrino). Hell's Kitchen was a very rough place to grow up. However, a strict code of honour existed, and crimes against the person were not tolerated. A central character in this human drama was the parish priest, Father Bobby (Robert De Niro), a no-nonsense rough-and-ready representative of God.
The four boys - Shakes, Michael , John and Thomas - are inseparable, and they all get up to the usual adolescent hijinks, until one day something goes horribly wrong and they find themselves sentenced to incarceration at the Wilkinson Home for Boys. The Home is a brutal place, with physical, mental and sexual abuse almost a matter of routine, particularly by a foursome of guards headed by Nokes (Kevin Bacon).
Their time passes, and the four are released. They grow up, but their lives are forever damaged. One day, the adult John and Thomas happen across Nokes in a bar, a seemingly perfect setup for revenge.
Sleepers will disturb you. The imagery is often very graphic, and the subject matter is unpleasant. The movie takes a no nonsense and no glamour approach to its subject matter. The acting is absolutely top notch, and a superb ensemble cast make this story all the more dramatic and tragic.
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| Rating | | | Date | November 27, 2004 | | Summary | Wonderful movie, excellent transfer, appalling DVD | Content
| I'm not going to go into the details of this movie much. From reading the reviews on this site, you either like it, or you don't. Frankly, I very seldom like any movie made in the last 20 years or so...but this one really grabbed me and kept my attention. All of the actors came across as very believable characters...something sorely lacking in most movies. The boys, especially, played their parts wonderfully.
The transfer of the film was great...clear, with little grain or other problems. About my only complaint in this area would be the inconsistent sound level. Some sound effects, such as the screaming subway train, would be speaker-rattling with the volume at the proper level for the dialogue.
The worst problem with this DVD, however, is the fact that it is a "flipper". For a movie of only 2-1/2 hours, this is inexcusable. Not only that, the transitions for the end of one side and the beginning of the other are extremely abrupt. Though I can't remember from seeing the movie in the theatre, it certainly appears something was truncated.
4 stars for the movie, 4 for the transfer, 1 for the DVD. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 11, 2004 | | Summary | Not your usual childhood growing pains | Content
| Sometimes compassionate but mostly hard, riveting. True story of late `60s Hells Kitchen kids, whose horseplay takes an unexpected turn, resulting in reform school, where they are abused. Ultimately a tale of intricate revenge--and devastation. A must.
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