"State of Grace" is not one of those films that I would consider ageless or that seem to mellow with age, like "Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo" or "2001: A Space Odyssey." It has an impressive roster of talented actors in early roles, but that may be a two-edged sword, as viewed for the first time in 2017, they serve as constant reminders of how old the film really is. By contemporary standards, the pace seems slow, with too much emotion and not enough action. It lacks the eye candy of contemporary films, such as elaborate fights, pyrotechnics, white-knuckle car chases, parkour acrobatics, etc. The gun battles seem of the caliber of episodic television series, at least until the final slow-mo scene. After cruising along in second gear for nearly two hours, the climax seems rushed, propelled by new information from who knows where. The fade-out as denouement leaves the audience uncertain, not only as to the fate of several principal characters, but also as to the meaning of it all. What lesson did the protagonist learn and what insight is the audience supposed to take away and apply to their own lives? While the film is definitely worth viewing, I also felt somehow disappointed. Yes, filmmakers needed to go there to get to where they are now, but it would have been so much better if they could have somehow jumped ahead a quarter of a century and adopted contemporary techniques.

Terry Noonan (Sean Penn) returns to Hell's Kitchen to find it gentrified. His old friend Jackie Flannery (Gary Oldman) is still a lowlife killer. His ex Kathleen Flannery (Robin Wright) is now working in an uptown hotel. Their old brother Frankie Flannery (Ed Harris) is the cruel leader of an Irish gang. Stevie McGuire (John C. Reilly) is also in the gang. Pat Nicholson (R.D. Call) is Frankie's right hand man. Frankie kills nice kid Stevie. Terry turns out to be a cop and begging his handler Nick (John Turturro) to pull him out.There are some strong performances. Gary Oldman is the standout as the wild criminal. Sean Penn pulls it back a little and form a perfect pair with Oldman. It may be better to reveal Terry sooner. It's best to do it at the end of the introduction. It opens up his inner conflict and allows for a deeper character. The music is memorable with the haunted tones.

"State of Grace", an elegant film noir, delights at every level. I very much appreciate the reviews by Bladeruuner here and the external review by Roger Ebert; each reviewer notes the subtly and nuances of this work. I do not need to recast what they write.The visual beauty of the film enchants me. I love Manhattan and this film celebrates the city. Actors playing the central characters, of course, dominate discussion, but every actor here seems perfect in casting and rendition of his or her role. Robin Wright excels here.The director Phil Joanou, with a background in cinematography and film editing, uses his skill at every moment. The en conclusion of the film might seem over-the-top but it is not—it is a perfect ending. I savoured it. Read the fine reviews of this work and enjoy watching. I would like having a DVD of this work

Finding and watching "State of Grace", a more-or-less standard story of a crime drama set in all places of New York was actually surprisingly delightful. The story takes a back-seat to a great group of actors and a no-nonsense script. The music has sort of a noir-ish tinge, and there's a lot of late eighties New York scenery, but thanks to a younger crowd of solid actors including Harris, Penn, Tuturro, and most especially Gary Oldman, this movie keeps it moving and is never really dull. The opening setup and closing bravado were effective and well-done, and the clash of situations felt tense. On the whole, only the love relationship didn't quite work in the movie. While this may be where Penn and Wright met (assuming), the script doesn't seem to know what to do with the Wright character, "Kate". Still it's a movie I hadn't heard of and found just browsing. A good movie, better than many and Recommended.