Cheap Sleepers (DVD) (Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Jason Patric, Brad Pitt) (Barry Levinson) Price

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Customer Reviews of Sleepers

Such an extraordinary tale was always going to be controversial, of course, and so it proved. Upon release, book and film drew immediate fire from critics who accused author and filmmakers of embellishment and exaggeration, since no records could be found to prove that the trial depicted in the film ever took place within the Manhattan district, or that the Wilkinson Home for Boys ever existed - even though Carcaterra's book (and Levinson's script) makes it clear that most of the names, dates and locations have been changed or fictionalized to protect those involved, and that the records of all children held in institutions like Wilkinson are routinely deleted after seven years. Further scandal ensued when the movie ignited protests from those who believed the story drew unfortunate parallels between pedophilia and homosexuality, thereby reinforcing the worst kind of homophobic stereotype. The point is certainly valid, given Hollywood's shameful mistreatment of gay themes and characters over the years, but "Sleepers" doesn't seek to draw any kind of parallels, unconsciously or otherwise, merely to recreate events described in Carcaterra's book. Besides, monsters are monsters, whoever their victims may be.

As a movie, "Sleepers" is competent, briskly paced, and beautifully acted by a dream cast of old pro's (including Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman in key roles) and a new generation of rising stars. It's an ensemble piece, and the lack of grandstanding - in favor of narrative momentum - is admirable. But while the film is consistently intelligent and engaging, it's drawbacks are significant: The kids are terrific, especially Perrino, but the adults are burdened by the gravity of the subject matter, and Patric's sombre narration seems a little too laidback at times, lacking warmth or even genuine emotion, while John Williams' rambling score clashes resolutely with the film's epic visual sweep. Also, for obvious reasons, the moviemakers were unable to depict the kind of sexual atrocities outlined in the original book, with unfortunate consequences: Here, Nokes' murder seems more like the result of a petulant outburst by a couple of thugs, rather than the inevitable outcome of horrendous physical abuse. And during the subsequent trial, it defies belief that the prosecution's key witness - a former guard at Wilkinson - would incriminate himself so readily on the stand, as depicted here. That said, however, the movie is still a worthwhile erntry, but the book is better.

Warner Bros.' region 1 DVD - one of their first releases on this newfangled disc format - runs exactly 147:00 and is spread over two sides in a manner that wouldn't be acceptable today. The glorious Super 35 compositions are preserved in letterbox format (a little overmatted at 2.40:1), anamorphically enhanced, though the 5.1 Dolby soundtrack is fairly subdued, selling the drama without drawing too much attention to itself. There's a trailer and brief cast biographies, along with English captions and subtitles. Missing from this print is a brief intertitle which originally appeared before the closing credits, outlining some of the criticisms levelled against Carcaterra's original account.

Snoozers?
Any movie that has the Catholic church frothing at the mouth can't be all bad. In the case of Sleepers, the lodged complaint circles not around the brutal treatment of four boys at the center of the film, but the perjury-laced testimony of the priest (played by Robert DeNiro) who tries to protect them.

The authenticity of Lorenzo Carcaterra's bestseller has continued to be a question, but the compelling nature of the story--true or not--is undeniable. The wise guy buddies grow up fast in Hell's Kitchen in the '60s. They do the altar boy thing one minute and peer at naked ice capade dancers through a broken window the next. It's like an Angel's with Dirty Faces remake without Cagney or an electric chair.

The rough center of the story comes in the shadowy form of Wilkinson, a dank reform school where the spirits of the precocious teens are crushed on a relentless wheel of physical and verbal abuse. The leader of the pack is a sicko guard named Nokes (Kevin Bacon). The kids do their time and twelve years later two of them grease Nokes in a restaurant. Michael (Brad Pitt), an assistant D.A., and Lorenzo (Jason Patric), a reporter, conspire to get their buds off the hook in an eye for an eye trade-off.

They cash in all their favors, throw an alcoholic lawyer played by Dustin Hoffman on the other side of the case, and wreak revenge on their past.

But despite the star-studded lineup, Sleepers doesn't pack quite the emotional wallop it could have. The devastating prologue makes anything after it meager and shallow.

Supporting Characters Saved the Movie
Boys from hell's kitchen get in jail. Tortured and raped by guards. Grow up and seek a Monte-Christo revenge. The plot is good, if a little bit too straightforward.

The most interesting character in the movie by far is Father Bobby (De Niro), a 'cool' priest who is as comfortable beating up an abusive father as preaching. There's Fat Mancho who gives out street wisdom to kids; Danny Snyder (Dustin Hoffman), the lawyer who mutters as if to himself in court. These characters keep the movie interesting.

The boys themselves, however, have little individuality. And like all coming-of-age movies (American Graffiti, Stand By Me, October Sky) there has to be oldies playing, and the number of boys has to be 4. Young Carol is an underdeveloped character whom the director expects the audience to remember later on. The prison guards (Kevin Bacon, Terry Kinney) do what the plot expects them to do, and King Benny provides simple mob flick entertainment. The grown-up boys developed some characters but, ironically, even with the Monte Christo plot, one cannot help but get the sense that the boys, whose lives would have otherwise been very unextraordinary, were saved by the dramatic event.