Sean Penn gives one his best performances as Terry Noonan, who goes undercover into New York's Irish mob. He was selected because his childhood friend, Jackie (Oldman), is one of the top Lieutenants, and Jack's older brother Frankie (Harris) is the boss. Noonan quickly becomes encompassed in a life he had forgotten, and falls back in love with Frankie & Jackie's younger sister Kathleen (Wright), who is trying to get away from the life her brothers have chosen. Turturro plays the cop/mentor for Terry who has to try and convince he's doing the right thing.
When Frankie has another childhood friend (John C Reilly) killed, Terry has to figure a way to take Frankie down, but is conflicted due to his love for Jackie and Kathleen. I won't spoil the rest, but that's a synopsis of what the movie is about. It's about love, hate, betrayal, and revenge.
Penn gives a remarkable performance as the conflicted cop (similar to Donnie Brasco), and Oldman plays a bad guy that everyone loves. Harris plays the role of a cold, ruthless mob boss with perfection. Wright & Turturro give above average performances as co-stars, and the remaining actors are well cast.
To sum it all up, one of the best Organized Crime movies of all time and starring 4 men who have been nominated for Academy Awards. Above average plot, great cinematography, brilliant acting, and a very original ending, make this movie a must for all mob movie fans, and recommendation to all others.
A final note, the film is beautifully shot - so why isn't it on DVD yet?
