Sleepers

Justifiable execution and justifiable lying

Sleepers (1991) starts out as a coming-of-age film about four boys in 1966-1967 from Hells Kitchen, Manhattan, and then morphs into a juvenile prison picture, which covers the first hour. The rest of the movie is a crime tragedy turned courtroom drama, taking place 13 years later in the early 80s. Jason Patric plays the adult version of Shakes, the main protagonist and narrator, while Brad Pitt plays his attorney friend, Michael. When their other two buds, John and Tommy, are taken into custody for murder they hatch a plan to get them off for understandable reasons. Robert De Niro plays their Catholic pastor and father-figure while Dustin Hoffman appears as the dubious defense attorney. K...

Sleepers uses a disturbing and unnecessary narration to tell its controversial revenge story, but the rich characters and great actors easily make up for that.

8/10