Boondock Saints

After the phenomenal success of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, every indie filmmaker trying to find a way through the Hollywood maze seemed to have a crime movie in the works, including this 1999 offering from writer-director Troy Duffy, which went on to earn some measure of cult status respect. A tale of Irish-Catholic Boston brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus (Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus) who become folk heroes (dubbed “the saints”) after killing some Russian mobsters who have taken over the local pub, Boondock Saints sets itself apart by throwing in some arch religious overtones (having experienced a vision from God, the siblings become vigilantes on a mission to eliminate “evil men”). Following their trail are both eccentric homosexual FBI agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe) and crazed mob murderer Il Duce (Billy Connolly). As with many mixed genre flicks—incorporating action, comedy, crime, and character study—the result here is a mishmash, not a masterpiece. Luckily, for fans of the film, this Blu-ray “Truth & Justice” edition features both the original theatrical version and the director's cut. Extras include two audio commentary tracks (one by Duffy, the other by Connolly), a retrospective featurette, deleted scenes, outtakes, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Optional. (B. Gibron)