Sleepers. WOW I can't believe I had missed this movie years ago! It boasts a fantastic cast, all delivering captivating performances. The story line grabbed me from the beginning and held my attention, often with my stomach in knots with dread and/or anticipation. A heart wrenching story of friendship and redemption that you won't soon forget.

I told him about four frightened boys who prayed to Father Bobby's God for help that never came. Barry Levinson successfully adapted Lorenzo Carcaterra's disturbing book about the progress of four boys becoming men under stressful circumstances. Barry Levinson also directed the film with great sensitivity. Though difficult to watch for some because of the subject matter, this is a fine movie that deserves repeat watchings for the lessons it carries.As children, Lorenzo Carcaterra aka 'Shakes' (Jason Patrick), Michael Sullivan (Brad Pitt), Tommy Marcano (Billy Crudup), and John Reilly (Ron Eldard) were inseparable. They grew up in Hell's Kitchen, a neighborhood filled with scams and shakedowns, but one where the rules were known by its residents. The one adult who they admired was Father Bobby Carelli (Robert De Niro), who understood them as kids more than most adults. In 1967, their lives would change forever when a typical teenage prank went wrong which led to the four of them being sentenced to various terms at Wilkinson Home for Boys, a reformatory. There, they were physically, emotionally and sexually abused primarily by Sean Nokes (Kevin Bacon), the head guard of their cellblock, and fellow guards Ralph Ferguson (Terry Kinney), Henry Addison (Jeffrey Donavan), and Adam Styler (Lenny Loftin). Their time at the home affected the four, not all who were able to emerge from the experience to regroup their lives. To attempt to forget about the experience, they made a vow not to talk about it. Fast forward thirteen years, with Tommy and Johnny being career criminals, Michael an assistant district attorney and Shakes a newspaper writer, their friendship on the surface more loose than it was when they were children. When Tommy and John spot Nokes, it leads to Shakes and Michael banding together to exact revenge not only on Nokes but all four of the guards who abused them. Michael had long mapped out a plan even before Tommy and John saw Nokes, but that sighting and its aftermath alters the plan. Michael has the most to lose even if the plan succeeds. Most of the plan implementation is left to Shakes who has to enlist the machine of Hell's Kitchen, including mob boss King Benny (Vittorio Gassman), and their childhood friend, social worker Carol Martinez (Minnie Driver), John's girlfriend. Beyond co-opting aging lawyer Danny Snyder Al Pacino), who admits he may not be the best choice as an alcoholic who is no longer near the top of his game, the plan is threatened by a key piece, the need for an irreproachable figure to perjure him or herself, that person who Michael and Shakes hopes will be Father Bobby. Father Bobby, even if he knew of the abuse, is challenged to do his friends this favor of an illegal nature because he has to balance the morality of the situation. The film closes with events of years later that are disturbing. Excellent acting, finely paced direction and a taut story in three acts make this a film to remember. Highly recommended.

this is not my joke because it's told in the movie: it's true that Minnie is the welcomed feminine guest because the movie is above all a matter of boys problem with a long name of famous male actors… but it's like in sports: best team is not the best players: here the story about male bonding in a neighborhood bores me and in addition, the movie is rather dark, like the poster: winter, subway, courtroom and night visits... Anyway Minnie achieves to be on the spotlight with her curly hairs and cool attitude: it's because she was not a babe that she was essential and that she missed today...

Wow. This was a great movie.It was solid from start to finish. The characters were awesome, the plot twists were brilliant and the cast...well, it was a fantasy cast wasn't it? Kevin Bacon, Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver, Bruno Kirby, Jason Patric, Brad Renfro, Brad Pitt, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert De Niro...it's like they did a casting call with the best of the best. There are some serious actors in this movie.Not only that but if you play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon...this film rocks. So many links.Anyway, the story is probably off-putting to some people. It's not exactly fun to watch even implied child molestation, but the pay off is there, especially when you get to the end of the film.I love movies with dense and twisting plots, especially when they are character driven and have the acting talent to back them up. Sleepers has all of that and more.It should make anyone's top-ten must see list.