Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Green Day


Recommended viewing for St. Patrick's Day: State of Grace. Solid Irish mob tale from Phil Joanou about a hoodlum, (Sean Penn) returned to Hell's Kitchen after a disappearing act years ago. He hooks up with his best friend Jackie, (Gary Oldman before he was the go to unbalanced villian guy) and his old flame, (Robin Wright - before she too was a Penn). Plenty o' drinkin, fightin, screwin and cussin with a great supporting cast including John Turturro, Ed Harris and John C. Reilly. Watching it makes me realize how much better Joanou's take on James Lee Burke's Heaven's Prisoners could've been. Hurts. It really hurts. Speaking of Burke adaptations, I've got some hope for In the Electric Mist, just out on DVD. Mostly because Tommy Lee Jones looks like hell and Frenchie Bertrand Tavernier has got at least one great American crime adaptation under his belt, (Coup de torchon - based on Jim Thompson's Pop. 1280). Happy Pat's.

3 comments:

Paul D Brazill said...

It's great film.

Paul D Brazill said...

State Of grace, I mean. Haven't see the TLJ/JLB

jedidiah ayres said...

Watched In the Electric Mist last night... alas, like Heaven's Prisoners - not a bad movie, but not the adaptation that Burke deserves. The actors were mostly fine, but the pacing argued against the laconic style that you read Burke for... too bad.