Barry Levinson
Sleepers

THE REVIEW

When John Reilly and Tommy Marcano entered the "Shamrock pub" to gun down Sean Nokes (a masterful performance by Kevin Bacon), I must say that, just like when I was a kid watching movies and empathizing with the characters, I pulled the trigger too...

I'm talking about the film "Sleepers", which many of you have surely seen and highly recommend to those who haven't seen it yet. "Sleepers" is a true, moving story of a friendship between four boys who grew up in one of the most notorious neighborhoods of New York, "Hell's Kitchen," where they grow up in a sort of "relative tranquility" amidst games and pranks, until, because of a prank gone wrong, they are sentenced to terms ranging from one year to a year and a half to be served at the "Wilkinsons" reformatory.

This is where their hell begins, and I won't spoil what happens for those of you who haven't seen it yet, but I assure you that the story is bitterly beautiful, engaging and moving, with an exceptional cast including standout performances by Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman (exceptional), and a very young Brad Pitt.

The direction was handled by Barry Levinson, and the story is very faithful to the book, of the same name, written by one of the protagonists, Lorenzo Carcaterra, (the authorities denied everything) and it is just as beautiful, if not superior to the film...

As often happens, it's one of my favorite films...

And also the book…...