| State of Grace | | Cast : | Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman | | Director : | Phil Joanou | | Studio : | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | September 14, 1990 | | DVD Released Date : | December 03, 2002 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 03, 2005 | | Summary | Superb.... | Content
 | I had low expectations for this film..... but it was very good. Gary Oldman did some brilliant acting.. (Oldman shows Sean Penn his fridge where he keeps chopped of hands??? why?? after killing someone, put the fingerprints of the hands on the gun after throwing the gun...and confuse the cops??the killer is a dead man!!) |
| Rating | | | Date | June 02, 2005 | | Summary | A character acting free for all | Content
| Phil Joanou had an incredible palette of talent to work with in creating this dark and troublesome work of art. Even the lesser parts are filled with personalities such as John Turturro, Robin Wright (then without the Penn), RD Call, John C. Reilly and Burgess Meredith. The score composed by Ennio Morricone has a haunting, eerie saunter, infected with an obvious full note that jerks you out of its hypnotic trance. Watching this film in 2005 takes one back to a number of other great and powerful films of the early 90's that used the noir anti-heroes as their central character. Comparing State of Grace to Abel Ferrara pieces such as Bad Lieutenant and King of New York would not be far-fetched. Penn's performance as Terry is wrought with inner turmoil, culminating in his bedside confession to Wright's Kathleen. While explaining Hell's Kitchen and it's irk to Turturro he wanes "we're Irish, all we know how to do is drink," a telling testimony that typifies the culture soon to be taken over by the newly christened Clinton inner-city development. His inward reflection is mirrored by the exuberance of Jackie, played with perfection by Oldman. With his cavalier swagger he seems to lack the part of the genetic code that relays fear. Jackie takes risk to new levels while seriously jeopardizing older brother Frankie's (Harris) plans to form an alliance with elements of the Italian mob. Harris's taught composure throughout the film is a fine study in character definition; a true Jeckyl and Hyde persona, playing the suburban family man by day, and slitting the throats of childhood friends by night. We've seen little in the form of feature offerings from Joanou, aside from U2's Rattle and Hum and Heaven's Prisoners. It is interesting to note his continuing contribution to U2's music video collection, as well as a number of TV commercials. His close association with the mega band lent a big break in acquiring music rights for his 2000 production Entropy. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 26, 2005 | | Summary | A little predictable, but... | Content
| This is a great film about rival gangs in NYC's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. Some of the later revelations are easy to pick up on early in the movie, but, all-in-all, it is very entertaining. Sean Penn is pretty convincing in his anguish over playing both sides. Of course, Gary Oldman is fabulous. When is that not the case? He is so charismatic that I sometimes cannot take my eyes off of him, even when he is not the central character in the scene. Of course, Ed Harris really makes you hate him in this movie, which, in my opinion, is a sign of a really great actor. This film is highly engrossing and entertainig. Give it a view. I watched it once and had to make it part of my collection. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 04, 2005 | | Summary | Very Good | Content
| This is a good flick, although it may seem slightly aged since all the others in the genre have beaten the genre to death (Kill Bill breathed a breath of fresh air into it). Good acting, somewhat predictable, but not overdone with violence or gore. Kept me watching. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 30, 2004 | | Summary | The duty against the friendship! | Content
| Three visions ; three gazes , three generations , three points of view . The Yuppie Generation who live in The Kitchen's hell ; a police and a mobster .
The cop -Sean Penn is sent to New York and will meet again with his childhood friends but the life has invited them to complete the circle of the life .
A stunning film where the job , the feelings , the duty , the betray , the honour and the merciless violence intersect searing the screen. Full blooded film but filmed with superb good taste .
Arresting angle shots where you remember some bits of The Citizen Kane , superb illumination , and solid script make of this one of the three best mob films in 1990 - with Goodfellas and Crossing Miller .
The cast is fine but Gary Oldman shines with the light of a Supernova in this case . His role is the most complex to follow due the multiple spirit states demanded .
Phil Joanou is a gifted director who should be kept in mind for next releases .
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