State of Grace
State of Grace ★★★ 1990 (R)
Irish hood Penn returns to old NYC neighborhood as undercover cop and becomes involved with an Irish Westies mob in a fight for survival as urban renewal encroaches on their Hell's Kitchen turf. Shrinking client base for shakedown schemes and protection rackets forces them to become contract killers for the Italian mafia. Fine performances, with Penn tense but restrained, gang honcho Harris intense, and Oldman chewing up gritty urban scenery as psycho brother of Harris, but the story is long and meandering. Well-choreographed violence. 134m/C VHS, DVD . Joe (Johnny) Viterelli, Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright Penn, John Turturro, Burgess Meredith, John C. Reilly; D: Phil Joanou; W: Dennis McIntyre; C: Jordan Cronenweth; M: Ennio Morricone.