The Boondock Saints

Nov 1999, Troy Duffy, 110 minutes

For those of you who have not seen The Boondock Saints, you are missing one of the rarest occurrences in life. Much the way the Titan Arum (a.k.a. the Corpse Flower) opens but once every decade, a straight to DVD classic like The Boondock Saints is as equally hard to witness. The film, by all normal theatrical traits, should have at least gotten a small release in cinemas back in 1999. If I had to make a list of worse movies to come out in the past decade that received theatrical runs, the list would wrap around the earth 2.5 times. The list would include 5 Saw movies, most of the resumé from Uwe Boll, and just about anything Tom Green has ever breathed on.

The Boondock Saints is sort of your anti-superhero superhero movie without superheroes, get it? They kill bad guys when the legal system can’t get to them. Sounds like a bad DeNiro / Pacino movie. However, the then young cast of Sean Patrick Flannery (best known as Young Indiana Jones) and Norman Reedus (best known for... well I guess this movie) battle Boston’s least-finest with a flair for religion and humor. The leads stumble into the act of being heroes. They didn’t want this position but now find themselves morally bound to clean up the streets. Director Troy Duffy avoids much of the cliché you would see in a heavy breathing crime drama by keeping much of the action and dialogue light and fast.

Stealing the show is Willem Dafoe, who gives a career changing performance as FBI Agent Paul Smecker. Smecker, a comfortable homosexual who seems just as comfortable berating other homosexuals, is one of the wildest characters ever thrown on screen. From his cross-dressing to his river dancing, he blurs the line of genius and insanity. Dafoe has never been more entertaining.

The film is full of religious overtones and a scene of the leads awakening to the righteous lives they should live, however it never gets overbearing. The religion in this film is cool; I can’t believe I’m saying that – but it is. The little prayers they say after whacking a group of guys… it’s cool. The church should spend more time sponsoring screenings of The Boondock Saints and less time trying to promote Passion of the Christ.

Finally, find this under-respected little picture before it becomes out of style. With a sequel in the works, soon enough it’s going to be unhip to be down with the Saints.