"State of Grace" is one of those movies that feels like it doesn't deserve the performances it features. Obviously, Gary Oldman in psycho mode is always worth the price of admission, but "State of Grace" also has Sean Penn going through the emotional wringer, and Robin Wright, Ed Harris, and an early role from John C. Reilly.
But the movie itself is kind of lame. It's nothing we haven't seen before, and done better. There are violent moments that just feel tacked on because the movie requires them, particularly a moronic shoot-out sequence at the end of the movie that is more far-fetched than anything you'd see in a John Woo flick.
There is also a secret, that didn't exactly surprise me, about the main character, that actually just felt unnecessary and stupid - particularly in light of the aforementioned ending.
I'm not surprised that the filmmaker and screenwriter never really went on to anything else. The movie is a mess, one of those flicks where you can only tell what's going on because you are so familiar with the cliches it trots out.
But the movie itself is kind of lame. It's nothing we haven't seen before, and done better. There are violent moments that just feel tacked on because the movie requires them, particularly a moronic shoot-out sequence at the end of the movie that is more far-fetched than anything you'd see in a John Woo flick.
There is also a secret, that didn't exactly surprise me, about the main character, that actually just felt unnecessary and stupid - particularly in light of the aforementioned ending.
I'm not surprised that the filmmaker and screenwriter never really went on to anything else. The movie is a mess, one of those flicks where you can only tell what's going on because you are so familiar with the cliches it trots out.