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Amazon.co.uk Review
The first thing you need to know about Sleepers is that it's based on a novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra that was allegedly based on a true story. The movie repeats this bogus claim, which was attacked and determined by a wide majority to be misleading. Knowing this, Sleepers becomes problematic because it's too neat, too clean, too manipulative in terms of legal justice and dramatic impact to be truly convincing. And yet, with its stellar cast directed by Barry Levinson, it succeeds as gripping entertainment, and its tale of complex morality--despite a dubious emphasis on homophobic revenge--is sufficiently provocative. It's about four boys in New York's Hell's Kitchen district who are sent to reform school, where they must endure routine sexual assaults by the sadistic guards. Years after their release, the opportunity for revenge proves irresistible for two of the young men, who must then rely on the other pair of friends (Brad Pitt, Jason Patric), a loyal priest (Robert De Niro), and a shabby lawyer (Dustin Hoffman) to defend them in court. Despite the compelling ambiguities of the story, there's never any doubt about how we're supposed to feel, and the screenplay glosses over the story's most difficult moral dilemmas. At its best, Sleepers grabs your attention and pulls you into its intense story of friendship and the price of loyalty under extreme conditions. The movie's New York settings are vividly authentic, and Minnie Driver makes a strong impression as a long-time friend of the loyal group of guys. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
DVD Description
Blu-ray language information:
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French, German, Spanish, Russian DTS Surround 5.1, Italian DTS 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Latin American Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French, German, Spanish, Russian DTS Surround 5.1, Italian DTS 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Latin American Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Barry Levinson directs this film based on the book by Lorenza Carcattera about four friends growing up in Hell's Kitchen, New York......and how one mistake ruins their whole lives. An excellent cast including Robert De Niro, Kevin Bacon, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Patric and Brad Pitt make this film an absolute must for any film fanatic. Yes, the film does include scenes of sexual and physical abuse suffered by the boys when they are sent to a reform school but that is not what this film is about. Its really a tale of revenge and friendship - both of which are tightly bound together in this film. Levinson is not heavy handed in his direction and allows the actors free range to explore their individual characters with great effect. Although two Hollywood greats are present in this film (Hoffman and De Niro), the parts they play are such, that you don't really notice them and thats a good thing. No one actor should be greater than the story being told and there is no greater evidence of this than in this movie. Watch and savour each scene - it is a wonder that this film is overlooked so often by the movie going public - sheer brilliance is never so evident than here.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Father Bobby would have made a good "hit-man." It's a shame we lost him to the other side.
1 Nov 2007
Format:DVD
A journalist and a lawyer conspire together to get two brutal assassins acquitted of their most recent murder. What the world does not know is that their latest victim, Sean Nokes, tortured and raped these four men as boys. When Nokes was killed, these men were exacting their revenge for years of torment.
When this movie was first released, there was a lot of controversy over whether it was a true story or not. No one really knows how much of the story is true, if any of it. I tend to step back from this argument, as I believe that it doesn't really matter. If it is true, it's a great story; and if it isn't, it still is a terrific marketing device and a great story.
Sleepers is an excellent film. The plot is beautifully knitted together by a clever narrative. The events depicted on screen are, at times, hard to watch, but are brilliantly woven into a fascinating and complicated plot. The dialogue in this movie is tremendous, and the men and women of Hell's Kitchen come gloriously to life through witty turns of phrase and poignant drama.
The performances are sublime. Robert De Niro makes one of the "coolest" priests I have ever seen on screen, and Brad Pitt portrays a greatly disheartened and troubled lawyer. (This proves once again my own personal theory that Pitt is fantastic when he is not the lead.)
Sleepers is a movie full of anguish, remorse, and bloody, cleverly-plotted revenge. Sleepers will make you shed a tear; it will make you wince at its brutality; and, it will make you cheer on the most violent and brutal of assassins, as they are acquitted of a murder they did commit.
When this movie was first released, there was a lot of controversy over whether it was a true story or not. No one really knows how much of the story is true, if any of it. I tend to step back from this argument, as I believe that it doesn't really matter. If it is true, it's a great story; and if it isn't, it still is a terrific marketing device and a great story.
Sleepers is an excellent film. The plot is beautifully knitted together by a clever narrative. The events depicted on screen are, at times, hard to watch, but are brilliantly woven into a fascinating and complicated plot. The dialogue in this movie is tremendous, and the men and women of Hell's Kitchen come gloriously to life through witty turns of phrase and poignant drama.
The performances are sublime. Robert De Niro makes one of the "coolest" priests I have ever seen on screen, and Brad Pitt portrays a greatly disheartened and troubled lawyer. (This proves once again my own personal theory that Pitt is fantastic when he is not the lead.)
Sleepers is a movie full of anguish, remorse, and bloody, cleverly-plotted revenge. Sleepers will make you shed a tear; it will make you wince at its brutality; and, it will make you cheer on the most violent and brutal of assassins, as they are acquitted of a murder they did commit.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It's amazing.... The film is so well organised that you forget that it all happened over a hot dog. Some brilliant acting, a gripping storyline, with heart-wrenching moments. I thoroughly recommend this film to anyone
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very good film!
The storyline is very good, acting is top class and the actors are top class, pretty long film but when a film is this good it doesn't feel like a long time, not much else to say,... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. C. J. Davies
Solid thriller
Sleepers is a relatively unique film. It has elements of Once Upon a Time in America mixed together with a prison drama, a revenge flick and also a courtroom thriller. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Neil Butler
Very good movie
This is a class act of a movie. Very well acted, every actor enhances, not takes from the others or the story. For such a big cast, it is directed extremely well. Read more
Published 6 months ago by sharky
i nearly cried at the end of this movie
this movie is disturbing and beautiful at the same time. im glad i watched it. its like stand bye me but with adults. i highly recommend this movie!!!!!!!
Published 9 months ago by Mrs. C. L. Elliott
An Excellent Film
Quite simply, this is a superb film, Robert de Niro at his best excels in this very powerful story which is reputedly based on true events. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Simon
Disturbing..
Brilliant movie (except for Miss Driver's hopeless accent)which is deeply disturbing.I suspect the reality was much, much worse than the movie and I do believe it really happened.
Published 12 months ago by Mayor Hobbies
Walk like a man, talk like a man.
When a prank with a hot dog vendors cart goes horribly wrong, four young friends from New York's Hell's Kitchen district are sentenced to serve time at the Wilkinson Home For Boys. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Spike Owen
The sleepers
Very good film indeed.I saw it once on the tv and was so happy when i found the dvd.The sound was a bit low,even if you had it on full volume,but that aside,i would definately... Read more
Published on 25 Jan 2010 by charlie williams
one of those to watch before you die...
bought this for my mum because she loves it, i watched it and i got angry, i cried, then i just felt pity, definatly a film where you are there living through everything the cast... Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2009 by Amanda L. Robichon
Astonishing - and thought provoking - A 'Must Watch' film
Considering the all star cast, you may be fooled into thinking this is simply a high action drama. WRONG. Read more
Published on 24 Oct 2009 by Pip Thomson
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