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SummaryA New York cop is recruited to return to his hometown and infiltrate the mob ran by his best friend's brother.

Directed By:Phil Joanou

Written By:Dennis McIntyre

State of Grace

Metascore
60
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
My Score
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Metascore
53% Positive
10 Reviews
47% Mixed
9 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
80
Newsweek
Joanou has an intricate, beautifully built script to work from (David Rabe did a lot of uncredited rewriting) and he unfolds his charged story of violence, fratricide, and betrayal with masterly assurance. [17 Sep 1990, p.54]
75
The Seattle Times
Numerous fine performances carry the film, with Oldman's Jackie as the standout. [21 Sep 1990, p.24]
70
The New York Times
With coolly expressive cinematography by Jordan Cronenweth and an insinuating Ennio Morricone score, State of Grace has a somber and chilling tone that is only occasionally breached.
63
Rolling Stone
The movie is marred by overkill, especially in the brutal and bloated allegorical ending, which feels lifted, clumsily, from The Godfather. State of Grace is most powerful and gripping when it stays true to the emotions of its characters.
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Things you will not find in State Of Grace: a script that makes a modicum of psychological sense; a performance that isn't either desperately overwrought or numbly underplayed; and anything resembling grace. [18 Sep 1990]
50
Boston Globe
State of Grace is a high-powered, luxuriantly textured Irish gang movie that you keep watching, convinced that at any moment it's going to come together and really grab you. It doesn't. [05 Oct 1990, p.45p]
50
Los Angeles Times
Unfortunately, what director Joanou makes of all these promising elements is thudding pretentiousness.
See All 19 Critic Reviews
User score
Generally Favorable
50% Positive
10 Ratings
35% Mixed
7 Ratings
15% Negative
3 Ratings
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Apr 23, 2020
10
Steven1981
State of Grace is a film made in 1990 and is an action, crime, drama sort of thriller with an allstar cast including Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Ed Harris and Burgess Meredith.. My brother actually let me watch this and even though it's old I'd never heard of it so gave it a viewing. When the film finished I was shocked because of how good the acting was and Gary Oldman was in a class of his own because he was just dynamite and was superb and basically flawless and faultless. Sean Penn was also great and Ed Harris was a bit creepy and unpredictable in a good way and was also excellent in his role. All the characters are likeable in one way or another even if unpredictable and each character moulds the story into a basic hit and excellent movie. There were no unnecessary characters as far as I'm aware or concerned and even if there was that didn't destroy the film for it's glory status. Even at times your bored the story is so suspenseful and great the boredom dies because it's like a drug this film because you want more and more and to see where it leads. The action scenes are very violent especially the shootout at the bar near the end with Sean Penn killing all Ed Harris's men and Ed himself. State of Grace contains bad language, violence and I don't remember if there's sex and nudity but there may be. Not seen this in ages but it's certainly for adults only and a great film in all aspects and you couldn't ask for a film this perfect basically. The basic story roughly is a New York cop infiltrates the mob but you'll have to see State of Grace to see what a gem it really is and it's one of Sean Penn's greatest performances and films. A must see!
See 1 User Review
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  • Cinehaus
  • Orion Pictures
  • The Rank Organisation
Sep 14, 1990
2 h 14 m
R
The Irish mob in Hell's Kitchen.
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