Sleepers Reviews

After the massive box-office flop of "Toys" in 1992 and the overlooked, straight to dvd, "Jimmy Hollywood", director Barry Levinson seemed to be in need of some stronger material. As a result, he decided on a couple of adaptations; the first was Michael Crichton's "Disclosure" followed by "Sleepers", the controversial novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra, which served as a reminder that Levinson still had something to offer.
Growing up in Hell's Kitchen, four close friends, Shakes (Joe Perinno), Michael (Brad Renfro), John (Geoffrey Wigdor) and Tommy (Jonathan Tucker) fill their days playing pranks and making their own entertainment. However, one of their pranks lead to a man getting seriously injured and they are sentenced to time in the Wilkenson Detention Centre in upstate New York. In the centre they are subjected to beatings and sexual abuse by the guards. Over ten years later, two of the boys take revenge on one of them (Kevin Bacon), which drags up the past and involves everyone they know.
What we have with "Sleepers" is a stellar cast, a more than capable director and a story that's purportedly based on fact. There's really not that far you can wrong in these instances but, unfortunately, it's the "based on fact" angle that let's this film down. Everything else is handled with skill, but no matter how well it's delivered, it leaves an aroma that smells vaguely of garbage. It's too far fetched and under closer scrutiny and investigation, the events that writer Lorenzo Carcaterra claims to be true, are unfounded. There simply isn't any evidence of them. Now, if this film just played out as a piece of storytelling then that issue wouldn't exist and you'd be able to sit back and enjoy what this film has to offer. And what it has to offer is plentiful. The cinematography by (Scorsese regular) Michael Ballhaus, captures the look and feel for the times that reflect, in some ways, an urban version of "Stand By Me" in the earlier part of the film and Levinson does a very professional job on his direction duties. Where his strength lies is in drawing out brilliant performances from his impressively assembled cast: Throughout an abundance of familiar names, it's Patric (playing writer, Carcaterra) that get's the most focus but the rest still get enough to work with; Bacon verges on the stereotypical side but still channels an effective sadistic presence; Pitt, in a lesser role (when he was still on the rise) captures the cocksure arrogance required and the always reliable and masterful Hoffman brings a lot of depth and humour with his subtle mannerisms. At the risk of sounding biased, though, it's DeNiro that impresses most as the avuncular priest, Father Bobby. He delivers one of the most endearing and charismatic performances of his career and happens to have a moment in the film where his expression is solely focussed on, as he hears about the tragic and abusive events that took place. He doesn't utter a word, but his pain, anguish and compassion is expressed entirely and powerfully within his eyes. The only drawback amongst the performances is that the greats of DeNiro and Hoffman don't get a chance to share much screen time together. (In fairness, Levinson rectified this in his later movie "Wag The Dog" and subsequently they have shared the screen in the "Meet The Parents" sequels). These two fantastic actors have never really went toe-to-toe on dramatic terms, though, and this film seems like a missed opportunity on that level. As for the structure itself, it's a film of two halves; the first concentrating on the boys' high jinks (again, with great performances from it's young actors - Joe Perrino and Brad Renfro being the standouts) while the latter half descends into a formulaic courtroom drama which stretches credulity and eschews any form of logic in order to deliver the drama. It's during this, that the "true" nature of the story becomes seriously questionable and we're also left with an overhanging, dubious message on justice. Despite these issues, though, there are many highlights to be found and at nearly two and half hours long, it's never dull. Whether or not it's true is another matter but at the very least, Carcaterra has written an emotional and involving tale.
Flawed and uneven with a conclusion that simply doesn't convince, but if you're able to sidestep these faults then there's still a great film at it's core.

Mark Walker

Barry Levinson's tense drama, with great cast become a breathtaking and moving cinematography adaptation of the controversial bestseller.

Lorenzo: There are no clear pictures of the sexual abuse we endured. I buried it as deep as it can possibly go. 

"When friendship runs deeper than blood"

There is only one way to describe Sleepers and that is that it is a great movie. It comes with flaws, which I won't discuss as they are very apparent and because I just can't take away from how great this film is. Sleepers is easily Barry Levinson's best film and features amazing performances from a variety of really talented actors like Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. Those are the legends in the cast, but there are so many more like Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, and Jason Patric. That is just scratching the surface on all the great performances that came out of this movie.

Sleepers begins with a great introduction to the life of four friends in the slums of Hell's Kitchen. Levinson does a tremendous job with the setting. He shows just how bleak existence is in Hell's Kitchen. From there we move into a childhood drama, where the four friends rob a hot dog vendor and end up almost killing someone by accident. Then the story moves into a juvenile facility where the kids are sent. The kids all go through hell there. That's as far into the story as I'm going to go. The last thing I'll add about it is that the movie skips ahead to when the four kids are in their twenties and the story resumes from there. 

This film captures three different situations and make the movie feel like three shorts all combined into one. The first being a childhood drama, the second a prison drama and the third a courtroom drama. The first is very nostalgic and fun to watch until it ends in tragedy. The second is extremely hard to watch, but insanely well done. And both the second and third are very sad. Watching this again now is even harder, with the stories from Penn St and Syracuse dominating the news.

Sleepers is a film that you won't forget after watching it. Despite not knowing if the story is really true(the author claims it is, but the juvenile facilities say it is not), you feel for the characters because even if this story isn't true, it still is. This is happening somewhere. As hard to watch as it is, it needs to be seen.

Emotionally overwhelming drama about four kids whose life is thrown off track during their visit to a reform school, where they are abused and tortured. The movie sets up the situation of the boys in the late 60s really well, with the right soundtrack and the foreshadowing voice-over, that's not without pathos. Once the drama hits, there is no doubt that this movie won't end on a happy note, but it manages to keep you hoping otherwise anyway. It is quite amazing how the film captures the audience's attention and makes them abettors in the tale of revenge that's taking place 15 years later. While you know their plan is morally wrong, you still root for them. The acting is top notch, it is a pleasure to watch acting giants like De Niro and Hoffman in the same scene together. The ending is bittersweet but deeply satisfying, leaving you emotionally exhausted but glad you came along for the ride. Outstanding movie making.

4 ghetto hoodlums ruin some innocent lives and are shocked when they get their comeuppances. Ahh, but the road to revenge (and that's what this film is about, delayed revenge) is a twisty one, as twisted as the morals of this twisted film, that portrays the perps as heroic victims.

This is a deeply disturbing, well acted and directed film that exists as a crime drama on one level but goes deeper as well. Whether or not this story is all true doesn't matter to me, the message it conveys comes through and rings true regardless. The principle characters, the four young boys, come from a world of senseless daily violence, are thrust into the sadistic grip of the institution, and then are released to make sense of it and cope with its horrors the rest of their lives.

The film is stylized and idealized to be sure, yet I don't doubt that this version of Hell's Kitchen exists and the problems and moral questions posed are real. Sleepers is reminiscent of Stand By Me but less nostalgic. The movie tells at least 2 stories, and the legal concoction story was preposterous and began to lose me, but the film is redeemed by its constant emphasis on the boys and their undying friendship and loyalty. Also, Robert DeNiro as Father Bobby is believable, the lynch pin who holds the entire film together. The movie is too long; its almost laboring late in the film, but you're hooked by then. Its definitely worth watching on an emotional and philosophical level. What is justice? When is an act justice or simply revenge? And, what cost to your own soul do you pay for revenge? Barry Levinson poses these questions and more in a tale set in Hell's Kitchen, a setting all too real.

True story or not, its definitely a great one & surely worth a watch. Not that its flawless; it surely does have its share of loose ends. But the loose ends weren't enough to put me off the hook. The movie boasts of a huge cast, & fortunately each one have given their best (or so it seemed to me).

As far as the controversy regarding it being based on real events is concerned, IMO its all as much real as The Blair Witch Project. Thankfully unlike TBWP, we had some intriguing story going on here & didn't have to put up with idiotic shaky camera work (that's not as much a problem though, if the proceedings are engaging as in [Rec]).

Finally, though a bit flawed, it was surely worth my time. Go for it; see if it manages to get deep into your blood!!!

An amazing film that is both perfectly cast and epicly told. Brad Pitt and Jason Patrick led a flawless cast that all gave tremendous performances. Kevin Bacon was especially disturbing. The mood of the film is what makes it so beautiful. All of the visuals reflect a dying city with little hope, much like the lives of the four leads.

Good film about a tricky subject. Dealt with very well with good acting. Watch De Niro as he is told about what really happened to the kids in the detention centre, puts a lump in my throat every time!

Sleepers is a crime drama thriller from Barry Levinson with an interesting tale of revenge. There is some controversy on whether this is based off of a true story or not. In any case, it is a more than decent movie. The story is basically broken down into 2 parts, although some will say it has 3. No matter how many parts, the film is nearly 2 and a half hours. Just a bit too long in my opinion. The pacing is slow to moderate, however the fact that the story is broken up helps to relieve the boredom factor. The first half of the film focuses on the younger years of the 4 boys and the events that take place to setup the latter years, which is the focus of the second half.The fun happens early on, but it is no doubt that the latter is the better half, as this is where the more experienced and professional actors take the stage. The story is also more intriguing, as it involves a setup in court.The ensemble cast helps make this film as good as it is. Robert De Niro and Kevin Bacon carry the load for the first half. Bacon is really something. Brad Pitt, Dustin Hoffman, Minnie Driver, and Jason Patric step in for the second. All give good performances.While the film is a little slow and a little long, there is enough to make Sleepers a good watch for crime drama fans.

A group of four friends are sent to a boy's reform school when a prank goes wrong, and suffer brutality and sexual abuse at the hands of the guards. Years later two of them encounter one of their tormentors and summarily execute him, setting in motion a plan to expose those involved. Sleepers is based on a novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra who claimed that it is a true story. The highly contrived and convenient nature of the plot makes this seem highly unlikely, and so the claim actually undermines the story's credibility rather than vice versa. This is a shame, because it's actually an interesting spin on the courtroom drama presented by a quality cast. Kevin Bacon once again shows his characteristic bravery in selecting a part that is completely without sympathy, and he does a very good job, as does DeNiro in a supporting role as a priest with a crisis of conscience. It does lack a certain punch, probably because of Levinson's heritage in light entertainment. He is definitely more comfortable directing the scenes of rose tinted nostalgia than those of gritty violence and abuse and this sanitized, glossy edge compromises the harder edges of the story. I would also have to say that the courtroom section fizzled out a little because of the lack of interaction between the lead characters and it's all resolved a little too conveniently, but it is an intelligently told tale that leaves a lasting impression.

sad but very interesting film really worth a watch fantastic performances

Thoughful drama which concerns four Hell's Kitchen teenagers who ruin their lives with a single, senseless act of mischief. The four enter the juvenile-detention system and emerge as wholly different people. Two become psychopathic criminals, one becomes an attorney, one remains the group's collective conscience. These divergent elements collide when fate provides an opportunity for revenge against the sadistic guard who molested them during their childhood incarceration. Director Barry Levinson has a fine touch with ensemble casts, and this film contains many powerful moments.

What was this? Crap. A super short film about nothing, it felt like. Characters we didn't care about, in a boring trial, and the whole movie is spent trying to figure out what is going on.

Gripping and explosive entertainment. Riveting, brilliant and superb. An electrifying thriller. Smart, swift and crafted beatifully. The cast all give powerhouse performances. Chilling, compelling and memerizing. Remarkabe and unforgettable. A powerful film. A movie you will not turn away from. It's so engaging, unsettling and breathtaking you wont be able to forget it. This will leave you stunned and in awe. A masterpiece. A film of utterly astonishing calibur.

Four boys accidentally kill someone in their neighbourhood and are sent to reform school, where they are sexually abused by the guards. They grow up and get revenge. I didn't enjoy the punishment or the revenge.

very disturbing movie about boys in a detention centre.

Just my all time favourite film, another re-watch.

Even though it is an all star cast and each play great roles, the best performance in this film has to go to young Joseph Perrino.

A film of child abuse, corruption, religeon, domestic abuse.

The story is told in 2 parts, one as the 4 young boys going to a correctional facility for a prank that went horribly wrong and the second part, revenge.

In addition to this it is believed to be based on a true story

A classy film about a tale of revenge.

Overbaked.