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Sleepers Stars: Robert De Niro, Kevin Bacon, Dustin Hoffman, Brad Pitt and Jason Patric Director: Barry Levinson BBFC Certificate: 18 Opened: 3rd January 1997 |
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Without a doubt, the best film of last year was David Fincher's Seven, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. Arriving on our screens almost exactly a year after that masterpiece, Barry Levinson's film shares a few things with Seven. Firstly, it stars Brad Pitt; secondly, it is superb, and whilst Pitt had to make do with just one highly talented co-star last year, this time around every lead role is brilliantly played.
Starting off in the late sixties, we are introduced to four boys in their early teens, growing up in Hell's Kitchen, New York. The entire film is told through the eyes of Lorenzo Carcaterra, played in the early stages by Joe Perrino (in one of four strong, believable performances from the younger members of the cast that quite possibly upstage those of Pitt, Patric and co. in the final act). However, when a childhood prank goes seriously wrong, the four are dragged off to serve time in a youth remand centre, and proceed to be robbed of their childhood innocence by the mentally and physically abusive team of guards, led superbly by Kevin Bacon, showing admirable versatility doling out the kind of punishment that he received in Murder In The First. The friends decide to bury all of their memories, even hiding them from Robert De Niro's Father Bobby, a friend, priest and surrogate parent to the children. We rejoin the story in 1981, by which time the friends have grown up and gone their own ways, two of whom are now ruthless criminals and murderers. Accidentally seeing Bacon in a New York bar enjoying what is to become his last meal, the two carry out the vengeance that has burned inside them since their release. The final segment of the film involves the grown-up Carcaterra (Jason Patric) joining forces in a courtroom scam in an attempt not only to win an acquittal for the two murderers, but also to reveal the truth about their time at the remand centre, thus gaining revenge in their own, non-violent style. Although the vast majority of character development is completed way before handsome Hollywood types (Pitt and Patric) hit the screen, the final segment may not be too unpredictable, yet still manages to be thought-provoking and intriguing. Pitt's part is surprisingly small, as most of the screen-time is dedicated to the fresh face of Jason Patric. Surely a big star in the making (unless his next film, Speed 2 : Cruise Control turns out like Under Siege 2, perish the thought), here he proves that he can act, as well as having the looks and presence that will make him so suitable for action roles. Hoffman and De Niro both give convincing yet understated performances, although Hoffman's character is one of the few faults with the film. He makes the most of a strangely one-dimensional character who seems to serve no purpose in the film. De Niro's character, however, is not only highly necessary to the film throughout its course, but also superbly played. In one scene, when Patric is revealing to De Niro for the first time the horrors that went on, we are treated to a long, stationary close-up of De Niro. Every inch of his face is perfect as he shows once more why he is considered to be one of, if not the best, actor of his generation. However, the real strength of this film is not in the performances, not in the screenplay (which is adequately adapted from the real Carcaterra's allegedly true biography) nor John Williams searing (yet underused) score. Instead, the real star of this film is Levinson's masterful direction. Almost every shot in the film seems to have been carefully considered, and Levinson manages to avoid the melodramatic sledgehammer approach that could so easily have ruined it, and he also manages to take what could have been a cheesey, Hollywood ending and turn it into one that is satisfying and believable yet not what could really be called a happy ending. In one particularly excellent sequence (in which the boys are suffering through an abusive ordeal), the camera tracks away down a long, dark corridor, symbolising not just the loneliness of the four boys, but also the way in which they force themselves to bury their horrific past. However, the final hour feels a drawn out (admittedly because it cannot quite match the first half of the film) and this detracts from an otherwise superb film. It is certainly not in the same class as Seven (and I do not expect it to be amongst my 'Top Ten of 1997' even by Summer ), but it is worth seeing for the first half alone, with the second being thoughtful and moving yet disappointing. Whilst it is, at times, uncomfortable viewing, this is definitely worth the effort. Reviewed by: Tom Whitaker
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