This movie made a fuss when it came out because there were claims that its author had lied about it being "based on a true story." As a result it become a sort of infamous title and people cared less about the film's content and more about its "accuracies."
Well, frankly I don't really care about whether or not the story is true because I know things similar to this _do_ happen - children are abused and using this as a backbone for a revenge film may seem a bit inappropriate but it is handled with care by director Barry Levinson and the highly talented ensemble cast treat it with caution.
Robert De Niro gives a convincing performance as the Catholic priest who is a father-figure to a bunch of disillusioned Brooklyn youth. After they accidentally injure a man during a rebellious incident they are sent away to a juvenile facility where they are sexually and physically abused by the evil warden (Kevin Bacon). Years later two of the boys (now grown men) take revenge on Bacon and kill him in a public area. They are sent to trial but not all is what it seems - representing the case is someone involved with the past and there are some other interesting twists along the way.
The abuse isn't really the subject of this movie - instead the "what if a trial could be rigged?" question is more prescient. (Think "Runaway Jury" meets "Deliverance.") The cast is fantastic - De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Brad Pitt, Jason Patric, Minnie Driver, Bacon, et al. It's a movie buff's dream come true! If only Al Pacino had popped up....
De Niro has been given a bad reputation lately as a "sell-out" - but he provides a really deep and multi-layered performance here. It's too bad people forget about this movie along with some others he made around the turn of the decade because a lot of them were very good. This is one of them.
Levinson ("Rain Man," "Diner") is sometimes a bit too heavy on schmaltz in his films and that's the reason many people (myself NOT included) disliked "Rain Man." However here - for the most part - he abandons this and presents the material with a good touch. It's atmospheric and dark - it feels a bit like De Niro's "A Bronx Tale" and "Diner" colliding together.
Overall this is a really good film that is not without its flaws but is still engaging and surprising and underrated - a must-see for any self-respecting film buff.
4.5/5
Well, frankly I don't really care about whether or not the story is true because I know things similar to this _do_ happen - children are abused and using this as a backbone for a revenge film may seem a bit inappropriate but it is handled with care by director Barry Levinson and the highly talented ensemble cast treat it with caution.
Robert De Niro gives a convincing performance as the Catholic priest who is a father-figure to a bunch of disillusioned Brooklyn youth. After they accidentally injure a man during a rebellious incident they are sent away to a juvenile facility where they are sexually and physically abused by the evil warden (Kevin Bacon). Years later two of the boys (now grown men) take revenge on Bacon and kill him in a public area. They are sent to trial but not all is what it seems - representing the case is someone involved with the past and there are some other interesting twists along the way.
The abuse isn't really the subject of this movie - instead the "what if a trial could be rigged?" question is more prescient. (Think "Runaway Jury" meets "Deliverance.") The cast is fantastic - De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Brad Pitt, Jason Patric, Minnie Driver, Bacon, et al. It's a movie buff's dream come true! If only Al Pacino had popped up....
De Niro has been given a bad reputation lately as a "sell-out" - but he provides a really deep and multi-layered performance here. It's too bad people forget about this movie along with some others he made around the turn of the decade because a lot of them were very good. This is one of them.
Levinson ("Rain Man," "Diner") is sometimes a bit too heavy on schmaltz in his films and that's the reason many people (myself NOT included) disliked "Rain Man." However here - for the most part - he abandons this and presents the material with a good touch. It's atmospheric and dark - it feels a bit like De Niro's "A Bronx Tale" and "Diner" colliding together.
Overall this is a really good film that is not without its flaws but is still engaging and surprising and underrated - a must-see for any self-respecting film buff.
4.5/5