All the while as I was watching this, and especially during Gary Oldmans scenes...all I could see is Heath Ledgers inspiration for his Joker character. Sid Vicious is nothing next to Jackie. But I get why nobody talked about this movie...not now, not in the '90s. It came out at the same time as Goodfellas...it didn't stand a chance.
But man, Gary Oldman was all out. He really is one of the greats. And beside him so many other greats in this hidden gem from 30 years ago: Robin Wright, Ed Harris, Sean Penn, John Turturro, a young John C. Reilly. With a roster like this it really deserves a viewing. And the story in not bad either, it could have been tighter and a little more sophisticated but you can really follow it easily. Comparisons with Donnie Brasco and The Departed or Infernal Affairs are obvious but this one was before all of them. What does that tell you?
This is what happens when you have a great story but you don't have a great director. It is a forgotten film but remade by much better directors with a much tighter script, that is not so telegraphed.
