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Sleepers [DVD] [1997]
 
 
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Sleepers [DVD] [1997]

DVD ~ Robert De Niro
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this item with The Shawshank Redemption [DVD] [1995] DVD ~ Tim Robbins

Sleepers [DVD] [1997] + The Shawshank Redemption [DVD] [1995]
Price For Both: £7.96

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Sleepers [DVD] [1997]
97% buy the item featured on this page:
Sleepers [DVD] [1997] 4.7 out of 5 stars (21)
£3.98
The Usual Suspects (2 Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [1995]
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The Usual Suspects (2 Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [1995] 4.6 out of 5 stars (85)
£4.37
Brad Pitt Collection - Sleepers/Meet Joe Black/Twelve Monkeys [DVD]
1% buy
Brad Pitt Collection - Sleepers/Meet Joe Black/Twelve Monkeys [DVD]
£8.17
Sleepers: A True Story When Friendship Runs Deeper Than Blood
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Sleepers: A True Story When Friendship Runs Deeper Than Blood 4.9 out of 5 stars (46)
£5.99
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Product details

  • Actors: Robert De Niro, Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, Jason Patric, Billy Crudup
  • Directors: Barry Levinson
  • Writers: Barry Levinson, Lorenzo Carcaterra
  • Producers: Barry Levinson, Gerrit van der Meer, Lorenzo Carcaterra, Peter Giuliano, Steve Golin
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 18
  • Studio: Uca
  • DVD Release Date: 24 Dec 2001
  • Run Time: 141 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00005UWRU
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 3,579 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

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

Special Features
English
Region 2


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Customer Reviews

21 Reviews
5 star:
 (15)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars a lesson for all - a move that will stick in one' s mind, 31 Jul 2006
By Klaus van Amelrode "kmcva" - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This is a movie which will stick in your mind for a long time.

It is hard
It is violent
It is disgusting
It is shocking
It is about friendship
It is about life destroyed
It is about loyalty
It is about hope

Already this lists indicated that it is not an easy movie and about very contradictorily values. Those who endure violence as children will very often turn to violence themselves when being grown-ups: a familiar and comforting pattern. Sexual abuse of children is properly one of the most disgusting of all crimes. Here four boys, four friends have to endure this and years later their change for revenge presents themselves. The old friendship is put to a test and the wheels of revenge are put into motion, kind of inspired by the revenge of the Count of Monte Christo once took.

I am honestly not sure that the message of revenge is the right one, even though that it here VERY understandable. Revenge does not really solve anything; one wrong replaced by another wrong does not make it right but perpetuates the wrongs.

I was impressed by the cast and the acting - it is star-studded but it is not a "star movie". It works perfectly and it is quite amazing.

Highly recommended!!
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A quite superb film..., 22 Oct 2003
This review is from: Sleepers [VHS] [1997] (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.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Father Bobby would have made a good "hit-man." It's a shame we lost him to the other side., 1 Nov 2007
By Ms. N. P. Dougan (Ravara, Ireland) - See all my reviews
  
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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars IST CLASS
I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEMS ORDERING AGAIN ARRIVED VERY QUICKLEY AND IN
IST CLASS CONDITION AND VERY GOOD PRICE TOP MARKS
Published 4 months ago by Mr. G. Oneill

5.0 out of 5 stars A film that will wreck your emotions but leave you begging to know more.
*****POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN MY REVIEW*********

This is in my top 5 greatest ever movies, falling only behind Goodfellas, Stand By Me and Casino. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Cameron and Thatcher's Love Child

5.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyable film with a 5-star cast
This film has a suprising amount of A-list actors in it and deserves more recognition I think. Robert DeNiro plays his role as Father Bobby exceptionally well and Brad Pitt and... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Film Critic

5.0 out of 5 stars Must see film, but is it true or not?
This film is superb, it is a tale of freindship told from a group of young men through to adulthood. Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2007 by Dazman

4.0 out of 5 stars Sleepers
For its quite all-star cast I found it a little strange that I'd never heard of
this film since its release in 1996 and it was only on a television rerun that I... Read more
Published on 14 May 2006 by Rich Milligan

3.0 out of 5 stars great stuff
brilliant performances from kevin bacon, dustin hoffman and robert deniro. i highly recomend this film, but not if you get upset easily, its pretty dark..... Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Stupid Amazon Review
There is no "emphasis on homophobic revenge" in this movie. If it was girls that were raped and beaten in this school, day in and day out, for a year and then sought revenge on... Read more
Published on 24 Oct 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Big Boys Don't Cry
In a place called Hell's Kitchen in an infamous New York City neighbourhood you will find a lasting and close friendship, a deep and meaningful friendship between four boys, Mike,... Read more
Published on 28 Sep 2003 by kalamazoox

5.0 out of 5 stars Shocking story
I first watched this film when it was on tv not long ago.
Its about 4 young friends living in hells kitchen, they do jobs for king benny a big wig to get money. Read more
Published on 26 Mar 2003 by shannara121

5.0 out of 5 stars A great movie with an all-star cast.
The judicial system is supposed to protect them. But when a youthful prank in New York's Hell's Kitchen spins out of control, the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2003 by edude2005

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