Plantiana Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Ehirerapp Waste of time

Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Kirandeep Yoder The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

joecoby45 State of Grace tells the story of an under cover cop (Penn) who returns to his home town after 10 years. He reunited with his best friend (Oldman) and former lover (Wright) as well as working for the crime boss (Harris). During his stay he starts to question himself and where his loyalty's actually lie.State of Grace doesn't quite deserve the rank of masterpiece like some other movies in the genre (such as The Godfather or Goodfellas) but its a damn good movie which benefits greatly from slick pacing, a compelling story, three dimensional main characters, and some really excellent acting. Special mention must go to Gary Oldman and Sean Penn.Sean Penn has proven time and time again to be one of the finest and most versatile actors in the world, and this performance is no exception. He plays his role with such subtlety and depth that you really feel like you get to know the character personally and care what happens to him. Its a remarkable performance.Opposite Penn is Oldman, who is also one of the finest actors in the world. Always the chameleon Oldman disappears completely into his role and what were left with is an eccentric, flawed (possibly psychopathic) but ultimately sympathetic character that, like Penn, we start to care for and understand on a deeper level. Definitely a recommendation from me. If your a fan of the gangster genre this is definitely not to be missed. If your not a fan of gangster flicks but are still a fan of drama's with compelling characters this is still not to be missed.

NateWatchesCoolMovies Phil Joanou's State Of Grace had the unfortunate luck of being released in 1990, the same year that also saw Scorsese's Goodfellas and the third Godfather film. It's hard to gain your footing when that kind of momentum is surging about, but this film is as good as the others, and deserves recognition or at least some kind of re-release. Set in the blistering inferno of Hell's Kitchen, NYC, it's a violent tale of Irish Mobsters, undercover cops, betrayal and murder, set to a smoky, mournful Ennio Morricone score that lingers in the air like smog. Sean Penn is Terry Noonan, a deep cover operative who returns to his childhood neighbourhood to reconnect with old friends, and dig up buried grudges. Ed Harris is Frankie Flannery, ruthless gangster and former ally, while Gary Oldman plays his hotheaded brother Jackie with a tank full of nitrous and the kind of unpredictable, dynamite fuse potency one expects to see from a David Lynch character. The three of them are on a collision course set in the grimy streets of New York, bound by old loyalties yet destined to clash and draw new blood. Penn shares the screen with his once wife Robin Wright here, looking lovely as ever. There's also supporting turns from John Turturro, John C. Reilly, R.D. Call, a geriatric Burgess Meredith and an unbilled cameo from James Russo. Penn, Harris and especially Oldman are like flint sparks, a trio that won't be stopped and light up the screen for a spellbinding, visceral two hours until their eventual confrontation, hauntingly shot by cinematographer " in the midst of a bustling St. Patrick's Day parade. This one has been somewhat lost to the ages, like a number of other stellar crime dramas I can think of from the nineties. The cast, score and Joanou's thoughtful direction make it an unforgettable piece of work.

jarredfosbery State of grace, the morning after. This movie was sort of a surprise for me I looked at its cast and IMDb rating and wondered if I had missed a gem, I had. I went into this movie having read or heard very little of its plot, but I caught onto it right away and predicted the twists and turns well before they were laying their foundations. It's not a complicated movie and it certainly isn't a bad movie. That being said the actors were trying to capture the insanity and volatility of Irish gangsters of the era and I think that save for a few over acted scenes, (OK a lot of over acted scenes) they did that. Something we forget on our journeys thru these films of old (I was born in the years this film was being made) is something that my parents reminded me of: it's a very good movie for the era and for what it is. The characters are relatable and the cast is well picked. As far as directing/writing goes I think that there could have been slightly stronger character and plot development considering the length of the movie and especially between the characters that have a relationship previous to what we see. All in all there were very few disappointments It will always be hard for me to dislike a Gary Oldman movie. Gary Oldman as ever took a challenging role and worked with it. But it was an unnatural role for almost anyone to play so even the great Gary Oldman, falls off here and there. I found myself wondering when his scenes would end and this is something I usually reserve for Hollywood model/actors like Megan Fox. Sean Penn is an actor whose brilliance I usually have a hard time seeing until I think of his work as a whole in a film. This movie was an exception I enjoyed his work from beginning to end. Penn was one of the offending parties in the aforementioned "over acted" scenes but really that's a part of his acting style. And at the end of the movie, thinking it over I gained a little bit of respect for him as an actor. Ed Harris wasn't really playing a role that sits at the forefront of the film but he is the antagonist and I think for that he did great, maintaining a steady character thru the entire movie. Finally, as with any John Turturro movie he left me wanting more. I personally think that Turturro made very few bad movies. His character in this film embodies his acting very well as he is an actor that can be trusted with a simple role without over complicating it. no, I did not cover the entire cast in this review nor did i write the storyline out for all to read, it just is not complicated enough a film to do so. To explain any aspects would leave the reader watching thru major parts of the film already aware of what is happening. This is my first posted review. I hope I did OK! And thanks for taking the time to read.

edog101 Just caught this on television and was so impressed with the film I felt compelled to write a review. I'm positive we would have heard much more about this film if it hadn't been released at the same time as Goodfellas. Other users have already lauded the superlative performances by Oldman, Penn, and Harris, so I'll save myself the trouble. Like any great film those behind the camera deserve as much credit as the actors on screen.The direction by Phil Joanou is phenomenal. I missed the opening credits, and throughout the film I had the feeling I was watching an overlooked DePalma masterpiece. I was wrong, but if you've seen The Untouchables or Carlito's Way, I think you'll see where I was coming from. Perhaps this is partially due to what might be the finest aspect of the film--the incredible score by Ennio Morricone (who also wrote the Untouchables score).BEGIN SPOILEROne criticism of the film I have seen on this message board concerns the climactic gun fight at the end. Some argue that the scene is contrived. I would argue that a careful viewing reveals deeply rooted theological themes questioning the nature of existence and the divine (hence Terry Noonan's monologue referencing a "state of grace" as an idea, versus the ugly reality of earthly life). The slow motion gunfight at the end is juxtaposed with images of the simultaneously occurring St. Patrick's Day parade and associated Irish Catholic cultural imagery such as the four leaf clover. It occurred to me that what at first blush appears to be a contrived battle in which the hero prevails against all odds, is in fact a cinematic nod to divine intervention (and in that sense it is a deuce ex machina, and a contrivance--although in my mind, a forgivable one). Frankie Flannery fires shot after point blank shot at Noonan, each one of them missing. Noonan stands motionless as the bullets whiz by and does not return fire until Frankie runs out of bullets. Only then does Noonan fire a single bullet, which hits Frankie square between the eyes, killing him instantly. To me, this symbolizes a divine answer to Noonan's existential questions, as well as a nod to the biblical maxim "I am my brother's keeper" (Book of Genesis)--which can be applied with equal force to Frankie, who is punished for committing fratricide, or Noonan, who is saved for seeking retribution on behalf of Jackie, his murdered friend and putative brother.I should mention that I am pretty much an agnostic bordering on atheist, so personal feelings about the merits of religion or the existence of god played no part in my assessment of the film and what I view to be its theologically inspired themes.