Sleepers

Most of the time, when I see a very good movie, I'm content. After all, Hollywood isn't exactly pumping them out these days. Every so often, though, a very good movie comes along that has all the ingredients to be a great one but just can't put all the parts together. This is one of those flicks. It has a compelling story, a well-written script and a cast (De Niro, Hoffman, Bacon, Pitt, I could go on) that one can only dream about. Somehow, though, it ends up as less than the sum of its parts. That's not to say it's a bad movie - on the contrary, it's a gripping and entertaining film, but it leaves you with the feeling that it could've been more. None of the cast members are really awe-inspiring, but all are solid (De Niro's is the best performance) , and special mention should be given to the actors who play the young versions of the four central characters - they hold their own with the big name talent. My grade: A-

Synopsis: After a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized; years later, they get their chance for revenge. (via Imdb)

Director: Barry Levinson (Rain Man)
Writer: Barry Levinson (Liberty Heights) based on the book by Lorenzo Carcaterra
Stars: Kevin Bacon (Apollo 13), Robert De Niro (Goodfellas), Dustin Hoffman (The Graduate), Jason Patric (Narc), Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting), Brad Pitt (Fight Club), Billy Crudup (Almost Famous), Ron Eldard (Black Hawk Down), Brad Renfro (Ghost World), Joseph Perrino (The Mighty), Jonathan Tucker (The Virgin Suicides), Geoffrey Wigdor (Levity), Frank Medrano (Suicide Kings), Vittorio Gassman

Useless Trivia: Thanks to the logistics of the shoot, Bacon never even met co-stars De Niro and Hoffman.