Two gangsters seek revenge on the state jail worker who during their stay at a youth prison sexually abused them. A sensational court hearing takes place to charge him for the crimes.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 1 win & 5 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
Idealized? You bet. That's why the loss of this world must be avenged with the same broad strokes that you'd expect from the Count of Monte Cristo.
– Peter Travers,
Rolling Stone,
12 May 2001
fresh:
At times the images are agonizing to behold, men in their most desperate, hateful depths preying on children. The film, exceptional on many counts, ultimately is sad in a hopeless, haunting way.
– Peter Stack,
San Francisco Chronicle,
18 Jun 2002
rotten:
Levinson has done nothing to sift the half-truths from the melodrama...
– Derek Adams,
Time Out,
9 Feb 2006
fresh:
If audiences aren't bothered by this disturbing subtext, there's a lot to enjoy in this impeccably structured, handsomely produced saga.
– David Stratton,
Variety,
24 Jun 2008
fresh:
It is all legally preposterous. But Levinson is a slick craftsman, his actors are insinuatingly real, and cinematographer Michael Ballhaus casts a disarmingly believable light on these proceedings.