Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

State of Grace Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 31, 2022

Phil Joanou's "State of Grace" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sandpiper Pictures. The only supplemental feature on the disc is a vintage U.S. theatrical trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

A close-up of Sean Penn’s face right before John Turturro hands him the bag with the guns reveals pretty much everything one needs to know about his character, Terry Noonan. His eyes are tired and it is easy to tell that he has been through a lot. When he looks at the city, it is even easier to tell that he has a history with the people that live there. State of Grace is about Terry and his relationship with these people.

They are all Irish and have not seen Terry in a long time. Jackie (Gary Oldman), Terry’s best friend, is so excited to see him again that he immediately leaves the guys he has been drinking with and takes him up to their old spot on the roof. It is a glorious spot and Terry can instantly tell that the neighborhood has changed, but so has Jackie. After he gives Terry a cold beer, Jackie pulls out a pair of severed hands from his freezer. Then, while smiling, casually reveals that his brother, Frankie (Ed Harris), is running the show now because all of the old bosses had terrible accidents.

Later on, Terry meets Kathleen (Robin Wright), Jackie’s sister. In a desperate attempt to forget a disappointing past and regain he independence, Kathleen has started working in an upscale hotel somewhere in the city, but her plan hasn’t worked out as intended. While talking to Terry, her eyes quickly reveal that she never stopped caring about him.

Frankie also cares about Terry, but in a different way. After they meet in his quiet suburban home in New Jersey, Frankie orders his right-hand man, Pat (R.D. Call), to keep an eye on him.

When Jackie’s best friend, Stevie (John C. Reilly), is killed, Frankie is asked by a big Italian gangster (Joe Viterelli) to start showing more respect if he wishes to do business with him. Frankie agrees, but shortly after Jackie goes berserk, kills a few Italians, and all hell breaks loose.

The biggest weakness of Phil Joanou’s State of Grace is its distributor's unwise decision to release it theatrically around the same time Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas opened up. They are both very fine films, but GoodFellas had much bigger support from Warner Bros. and received far greater exposure that effecitvely overshadowed State of Grace.

A couple of years ago, in an exclusive interview, Joanou revealed that a longer and substantially more violent version of State of Grace was initially screened for top brass at Orion. State of Grace doesn’t need more violence, but it would have been great if this longer version was still around. What makes State of Grace special is the tremendous energy that is channeled through it and Joanou's comments in the interview suggest that the cut material had a lot more of it.

A direct comparison with GoodFellas quickly creates the impression that State of Grace could have been polished better. However, the roughness -- both in terms of tone and visual appearance -- is unquestionably what keeps State of Grace looking fresh and modern. In fact, it could easily pass for an early James Gray project because it hits hard and fast without revealing concern for the audience's approval. This is how modern gangster films should be made. (For reference, see Gray's Little Odessa and The Yards).

U2 had promised to score State of Grace but could not finish Achtung Baby on time and Joanou was forced to improvise. The great maestro Ennio Morricone agreed to compose the score for State of Grace after Joanou screened it for him in his private theater in Rome. The entire score is sensational, but the melancholic opening theme is among the very best Morricone did for a contemporary film.

State of Grace Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, State of Grace arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sandpiper Pictures.

I have only one other release of State of Grace in my library, which is this Region-B release that British label Second Sight produced in 2015. Sandpiper Pictures' release is sourced from the same master Second Sight worked with, which is an older but quite good master that was supplied by MGM.

The best news is that this master is free of problematic digital corrections, which means that the visuals have a fine organic appearance. There are a few darker areas where the grain becomes a bit loose and even a tad noisy, but on a large big screen the visuals still hold up nicely. In fact, despite a few anemic spots, I think that the darker footage looks surprisingly good. (On a related note, if you upscale to 4K, you will be surprised how good the entire film begins took -- or not since you now know that despite being older the master actually has a consistent organic appearance). Some highlights could be managed better, but I don't think that there are any serious issues. Colors are stable and the overall balance is good. A proper new 4K master will expand select supporting nuances, but State of Grace has plenty of darker indoor and outdoor footage where light and shadow interact in some very particular ways, and I think that this master does a pretty good job of reproducing them as they need to be seen. The dynamic range of the visuals can be improved. Image stability is very good. A few flecks and dark blemishes can be seen, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, even though the age of the master shows, I think that State of Grace has a good organic appearance. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

State of Grace Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

This was the first time I viewed the entire film with the lossless 5.1 track, which is excellent. It has great depth and clarity, plus it produces wonderful dynamic contrasts. However, it has to be said that the film blends plenty of diverse material that allows the lossless track to reveal its strength. For example, there is a big difference in terms of tone and personality between the more subdued material where Ennio Morricone's music becomes prominent and intense action footage. The dialog is always easy to follow, but unlike the Region-B release this release has optional English SDH subtitles.

State of Grace Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage U.S. trailer for State of Grace from Orion Pictures. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

State of Grace Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The fate of Phil Joanou's State of Grace is very similar to that of Gary Fleder's Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead. It came out at the wrong time and had to compete with another similarly themed film that enjoyed much bigger studio support. I saw State of Grace when it came out in the early 1990s and thought that it was a very good film with a sensational soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. I have not changed my mind. In fact, I think that in many ways State of Grace looks even stronger and more stylish now. Sandpiper Pictures' release is sourced from the same older MGM master that has been used to prepare previous releases of the film here and overseas. It is a good organic master, so the release is very easy to recommend, but I would not have been upset to see a brand new 4K makeover. RECOMMENDED.