once in a while a movie come along that be a gift for an actor . it be like a golden opportunity that have be give to them and but there be a catch they have to deliver . three actor be give that opportunity in state of grace represent ed harris and gary oldman and sean penn . all three deliver performance that easily merit a best actor oscar and but it be the chemistry between penn and oldman that issue forth true gold . oldman completely and utterly loses himself in the role of jackie flannery and a small time irish gangster that happen to be the young and impulsive and reckless brother of the head bos of the irish mob in hell kitchen and frank flannery . frank be broker a deal with the italian cosa nostra that will result in a major windfall of money and power for the much small gang of irish mobster . frank be one of the only people who seem to understand how important this deal be and while the rest of the gang bristle against the direction of the much more powerful and organize mafia . every time it look like the deal will go through and some member of frank gang do something stupid to insult the italian and and each time this happen frank be call upon ( by the italian ) to do their retribution upon his own people . in the midst of this very dangerous situation enters terry noonan ( sean penn ) and jackie best friend from childhood who be now a cop and undercover with the directive to do no less than take down frank entire gang . in the beginning terry seem eager to do his job and but a the reality of what he must do come crash down he be tear between his love for his old friend and and his duty a a policeman . this be far complicate by the fact that jackie sister kathleen ( robin wright penn ) and terry be childhood sweetheart . a terry renew his relationship with both jackie and kathleen he begin to lose his identity and his soul a he be torn apart by the thing he must do a a policeman and what he see be do by frank and his gang and and his deepening relationship with kathleen . oldman deliver an explosive performance and he seem to become even more unhinged and unpredictable each moment that he and penn spend together . the true beauty of his performance be the fact that we know how intelligent oldman be while yet he be totally believable a this half witted madman who be rush towards his own demise . it be penn though that have the heavy lifting to do and because he doesn not have the luxury of hide behind the frenetic machination that oldman character do . you actually feel pain a you watch terry get in deeper and deeper and drinking more and more and sleep less and less and lose his direction and his mind . the music by ennio morricone be haunt and brooding and electrify while perfectly suit to the evolve story on screen . a we watch terry betray his friend and himself and it seem a if piece of him actually float away and carry on the wing of morricone music . robin wright penn also deliver a a young woman who be desperately try to escape the mean street of the kitchen and the violent world of her brother and and her meager upbringing . she also underestimate what be with terry would mean and especially after learn terry true identity . she be suck back into what she have try so hard to become free of and and must watch a her family and terry disintegrates . the entire movie be set upon a collision course between terry and frank and and when they finally collide and director phil joanou film it almost like a dream sequence . the power of this film be how it manage to so vividly portray one man attempt to finally confront his past and his own character flaw . all of u have demon and we promise and strive to finally confront them and but do we ever . face our fear be one thing and but the true measure of a person character be how we perform when that fear star into u and face to face . here and terry come full circle and finally confront the demon of his youth and and the showdown might cost his life . watch this film for the terrific performance of all the lead actor and for the fantastic music and the frenetic action and and the move drama and but watch it also to ask yourself and what be your demon and when will you finally face them and what will happen when you do .