Boondock Saints

Movie Title-- The Boondock Saints

Release Year-- 1999

Running Time-- 1 Hour and 48 Minutes

Director-- Troy Duffy

Cast-- Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Willem Defoe, David Della Rocco, Billy Connelly, Bob Marley, David Ferry, Brain Mahoney, Carlo Rota, Ron Jeremy, Gerard Parkes

Two Irish-American brothers turn vigilante after being attacked by the Russian mob and decide to save their home city of Boston from further corruption while being pursued by the police and FBI.

Two Irish-American twin brothers, Connor (Flanery) and Murphy (Reedus) MacManus are celebrating St. Patrick's Day in their hometown of Boston, Massachusetts when three Russian mobsters come into the bar they are at and announce they are closing the bar. The brothers try to play it off, telling the mobsters that they are all having fun for the holiday but the Russians are not interested and a brawl ensues.

Embarrassed that they lost the bar fight, the Russians track down the MacManus brothers and try to get revenge but are instead killed by the brothers in self defense. When the local police learn that the men that have been murdered are connected to the Russian mob, they call in the FBI. FBI agent Paul Smecker (Dafoe) is assigned to the case and accurately profiles the events that happened there the night before. As Smecker is giving a briefing to the police force about the newly dubbed “Saints of South Boston”, the brothers come into the police station and turn themselves in. The MacManus brothers are questioned but are not charged for the crime as it has been deemed self defense.

Upon being released, the brothers decide that they should rid Boston of corruption and evil men. They learn of a meeting with the Russian syndicate bosses happening at a hotel, outfit themselves in weapons and quickly dispatch of the nine bosses quickly. Right after they finish the job there is a knock on the door and they find that their friend, Rocco (Rocco) has been sent by Giuseppe “Papa Joe” Yakavetta (Rota) as an unknowing pawn to kill the mob bosses. The next day after learning that he truly was betrayed (he had been sent in to kill nine Russian mob bosses with a six shooter gun), he decides to join Connor and Murphy's cause to rid of the city of evil. Papa Joe, thinking that he may become a target of the Saints, contacts a ruthless mercenary known only as Il Duce (Connolly) to deal with them.

Although this film is quite violent and very graphic, it is one of my favorite films. I have watched this film every year on St. Patrick's Day since it was released (hey, some people drink, I watch this film!), it has become a tradition for me, one that I have shared with many people of the last few years. And sure, the film only focuses on St. Patrick's Day for a whole half hour or so of the film but that doesn't matter either, if you can stand the violence and killing, this is a good film to sit through. It is funny, it is serious, it is sad, it has every thing a good story needs.

Let's talk about the acting...for the most part, the main characters are great. Willem Dafoe is HILARIOUS and Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as Connor and Murphy MacManus are not only perfectly cast but their sex appeal helps to draw in female viewers because honestly with the violence and graphic nature of this film, it is really more of a dude flick. However, this is a low budget film, there fore there are a LOT of editing mistakes and some of the extras are not real great, even when it comes to just laying dead on the floor (watch it, you will see what I am talking about).

Overall, if you can stomach graphic violence, this is a great film. It has become a huge cult classic and once you see it once you quickly realize why. This film is funny and it does actually hit on a big social discussion...if you could rid your hometown of evil without consequences, would you? Ponder this question with the brothers MacManus and Don't Forget the Popcorn!!