This special limited edition J-card MediaBook slipcase (designed by F. Ron Miller) is limited to 4,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.
Taking its name from the Lumière Brothers invention of the same name, Cinématographe is a new sub-label from Vinegar Syndrome that seeks to fill gaps in the canon of American cinema. Offering a mix of auteur driven studio films produced during the New Hollywood era of the late 1960s and 70s all the way through the indie boom of the 1980s and 90s, Cinématographe will explore the wide breadth of American moviemaking, spanning numerous genres and scales of production. Curated and produced by Vinegar Syndrome's Justin LaLiberty, each limited edition release will be housed in a specially designed, cloth-bound, media book with embossed foil titles and custom molded disc trays accompanied by a slipcase featuring newly commissioned art and an individually numbered J-card.
Jim (Sean Penn, Carlito’s Way) and Ned (Robert De Niro, The Untouchables), two ambling convicts imprisoned in Upstate New York during the Great Depression, are forced to escape prison when fellow inmate Bobby (James Russo, Dangerous Game) pulls a gun during his electric chair execution, turning them into unwitting accomplices. With a taste of freedom, Jim and Ned end up in a small town near the Canadian border, mistaken for priests in the local monastery. With the law hindering an easy passage into Canada, the two hunker down in their newfound home, befriending the people of the town and finding faith in the process.
A remake of the 1955 Michael Curtiz film of the same name, We’re No Angels is a deft marriage of comedy and drama from celebrated Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan (Mona Lisa, The Crying Game), based on a script from noted playwright David Mamet (The Untouchables, House of Games). Featuring a staggering ensemble cast including Oscar nominees Demi Moore (A Few Good Men) and John C. Reilly (Chicago) with Wallace Shawn (My Dinner with Andre) and Bruno Kirby (The Godfather Part II), WE’RE NO ANGELS is a seldom overlooked entry in Neil Jordan’s career. Cinématographe is proud to bring Jordan’s epic crime comedy to blu-ray for the first time in the world with a new 4K restoration approved by the filmmaker.
directed by: Neil Jordan
starring: Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Demi Moore, James Russo, John C. Reilly, Hoyt Axton, Wallace Shawn, Bruno Kirby, Ray McAnally
1989 / 106 min / 2.39:1 / English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Additional info:
Overall rating: 4.6380954 / 5 from 105 reviews.
We're No Angels, a limited edition release from Vinegar Syndrome's Cinématographe sub-label, features a 4K restoration of Neil Jordan's 1989 crime comedy. The film, starring Robert De Niro and Sean Penn, is praised for its outstanding acting, engaging plot, and excellent performances. The special edition comes with a specially designed media book and slipcase, receiving high marks for its packaging and transfer quality.
Review topics: [quality, looks, feel, picture, box, packaging, case, work, sound, film, angels, movie, release, comedy, transfer, cast, performances, presentation, features, restoration, extras, penn, cinematography, remake, surprise, track, media, disc, edition, version].
"Very unique film that doesn’t entirely work, especially the comedy bits but still very much worth seeing for fans of the stars and director Neil Jordan. Great art direction and use of geography here! Great restoration on this release and it’s packed with great features as always with Cinematographe!"
"We're No Angels surprised me. It's considerably better—and considerably stranger—than its reputation suggests. A pair of escaped convicts (Robert De Niro and Sean Penn) fleeing across the Canadian border accidentally find themselves impersonating priests in a snowy town built around a shrine to a weeping Virgin Mary. What begins as a comic premise gradually transforms into something much gentler: a melancholy Christmas fable about grace, mercy, role-playing, and the possibility that people sometimes become who they are pretending to be. I understand why audiences didn't quite know what to do with it. Despite sharing a title and loose premise with the 1955 film, the similarities largely end there. Add a David Mamet screenplay, Neil Jordan directing, Philippe Rousselot's luminous cinematography, and performances that often feel imported from a screwball comedy while the film itself keeps drifting toward spiritual reflection, and you have something genuinely difficult to categorize. The production design deserves special mention. The border town feels wonderfully tactile and weathered, suspended in perpetual snow like a place existing between worlds. That liminal atmosphere becomes central to the film's larger concerns. Nearly every boundary begins to blur: criminal and holy, sinner and saint, performance and authenticity, imprisonment and freedom. The tonal balancing act is what impressed me most. What initially appears headed toward broad farce gradually reveals itself to be wistful, sincere, and quietly moving. If you're expecting a nonstop De Niro/Sean Penn comedy, you'll probably miss the wavelength the film is operating on. It's less interested in punchlines than in kindness. Its central idea is remarkably affecting: the escaped convicts pretend to be priests. . . and gradually begin functioning like priests. The film quietly asks whether people are transformed not simply by what they believe, but by what they repeatedly do. Can acts of care reshape the person performing them? Can imitation become vocation? Can someone stumble into grace simply by practicing mercy before fully understanding it? Those questions give the movie a surprising spiritual depth without ever becoming preachy. Even its treatment of miracles remains refreshingly open-ended. Strange things happen, but never in a way that overwhelms reason or demands belief. Faith remains an invitation rather than a coercion. The performances are excellent throughout. De Niro feels like he's bridging two eras of his career, combining the intensity of his great '70s work with the broader comic persona that would become more familiar later. Sean Penn brings nervous energy and unexpected vulnerability, while Demi Moore gives one of the film's strongest supporting performances, grounding the emotional world with remarkable naturalism. Wallace Shawn and a young John C. Reilly are delightful whenever they appear. By the end, what lingered wasn't the comedy but the tenderness. Beneath the disguises and misunderstandings lies a deeply humane story about damaged people accidentally creating sanctuary for one another. Sometimes people become who they are pretending to be. We're No Angels treats that possibility with unusual gentleness. As it turns out, so do I."
"Shocking release with fantastic video quality and a great surprise of special features."
"Another box office flop given new life by Cinematographe. Textbook case of an underrated forgotten gem ripe for rediscovery. Fantastic release."
"I havene seen this film in years and it stil holdning up. Love the cast. The picture and sound is good. Recomended"
"We're No Angels ended up being such a pleasant surprise. You’ve got Robert De Niro and Sean Penn playing off each other in a way that somehow makes this whole thing feel both chaotic and weirdly sincere at the same time. A lot of remakes lose the charm of the original trying to modernize everything, but this one actually keeps the heart intact while still feeling like its own movie. It’s funny, scrappy, a little awkward in the best way, and honestly just a really easy watch."
"Great artwork and overall great release with a nice visual presentation accompanying it. Pretty fun performances from the cast."
"I was really impressed with packaging. How the booklet was incorporated in the packaging as the discs. The video quality was phenomenal. A huge jump in quality over my DVD copy of the movie. Very satisfied with the purchase."
"Loved this back in the day. Still enjoy it. Looks and sounds good! Packaging is good too"
"We're No Angels is very much under appreciated. De Niro and Penn turn in fine performances among a host of other great character actors. The production design and cinematography are great in capturing the Depression-era setting. A/V quality is great and the essays in the mediabook packaging really round things out."
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