"State of Grace" was released in 1990 and was directed by Phil Joanou (Gridiron Gang). Terry Noonan, now a New York cop, returns to his childhood neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen and reunites with his old pals. However, his pals are now part of the Irish mob scene looking to take a dominant stand in NYC. Terry is attempting to pull off a sting operation but his friendship to them is hindering his job. He's falling in love with the sister of the men he's trying to put behind bars as well.
Sounds like a loaded plot, right? Don't let my description steer you away. This is a character driven film. It's super intense. Sean Penn, who portrays the undercover cop Terry Noonan, is excelent as always. Ed Harris is top-notch as well. The real standout here is the impecable and timeless performance given by Gary Oldman. One of my favorites, Oldman always gives a stellar performance even when it's not expected. He's constantly stealing the show.
This is a gangster film, which due to the year it was released, didn't get much notice. "Goodfellas"(My all-time favorite film) and "The Godfather Part III" were also released that year, stealing some of "State of Grace's thunder. But this film belongs right up there with some of the best gangster pieces in cinema. It's exceptionally shot, acted, directed and the story is told flawlessly. It's a must-see in my book.
I've done enough talking, it's your job to go and check this one out. It won't disappoint. It's violatile, intense and erupting with emotion. "State of Grace" remains one of the best films of the 90's as well as one of the most overlooked.
Till next time.
Here's the IMDB page:
Here's the trailer:
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