MICKEY BLUE EYES RATING: 6.5 / 10 --> So-so
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There are good mob dramas and bad mob dramas, just as there are good mob comedies and bad mob comedies. ANALYZE THIS (8/10) with DeNiro and Crystal sure proved to be a great mob comedy earlier this year, so could Caan and Grant strike gold for the second time with Hugh's sexy girlfriend, Elizabeth Hurley, producing this Englishman-getting-caught-up-in-the-mob romantic comedy? Howsabout readin' on to finda out...
PLOT: An English auctioneer proposes to his Italian-American girlfriend, only to find out that her family is heavily involved in the mafia. Despite her reservations, he convinces her that he will not allow himself to get involved with their illegal activities, but slowly finds himself drowning into their seedy underworld.
CRITIQUE: Likeable comedy felt like a pretty good video rental idea, but lacks the added oomph to highly recommend on the big screen. This film has the right look, great music, and all the usual suspects from all the other mob movies, but didn't consistently offer a rat-tat-tat of laughs or a genuinely believable romance. There were however several scattered funny moments, a superb performance from Burt Young as the mob boss (This dude gave me the chills just lookin' at him!), and an enjoyable score which kept all of the proceedings on an upbeat level all the whole way through. Caan was surprisingly underused in my opinion, while Grant tacked in another decent job as the comic lead, with plenty of endearingly goofy moments, alongside his ever-present puppy-dog look, which apparently, most folks seem to like?
The story itself was 'sarright, but I didn't personally buy into all of the goings-on during the film's finale, with certain people suddenly shifting loyalties like nobody's business. I mean, it was like...foggetaboutitt! Small plot holes aside, most of the film was enjoyable enough to watch, due to the interesting premise, but a classic romantic comedy, or mob comedy for that matter, it is not. Don't expect to find the same level of humor as in ANALYZE THIS (8/10) because that film's comedy was an uzi compared to this movie's shotgun. But if you really like any of the principals in this one, love catchy Italian music, don't mind a reasonably light romance, and don't have a problem with Hugh Grant's moping, then by all means, see this movie. Either way, my recommendation of this film ranks higher on a video level, than an actual pay-full-price cinematic release. Badda-bing...badda-boom!!
Little Known Facts about this film and its stars: Despite the fact that James Caan has been known to play many Italian roles, and the fact that he was twice voted "Italian of the Year" by unspecified Italian-American organizations, he actually comes from a Jewish-Irish heritage. He was born in Queens, New York, where he used to be known simply as "Shoulders". Caan has five children from four marriages, and once lived in the Playboy Mansion for a long period of time during the 1980s, after his sister passed away from cancer. He claimed to have lost all passion for acting at that time, and dove right into the cocaine and alcohol. He's feeling much better now. Before production began on this film, Grant's English auctioneer character had been a neurotic Jewish lawyer. Two script doctors later...voila! Hugh Grant actually filmed some additional scenes for this movie (With DGA-sanctioned director Carl Gottlieb supervising), when director Makin's wife was having a baby, and he could not return for re-shoots. Gottlieb wrote the script for the original JAWS movie directed by Steven Spielberg. Seeing that director Makin also directed THE KIDS IN THE HALL motion picture, along with a few of the actual "Kids" TV episodes, it shouldn't surprise anyone to find "kid in the hall" Scott Thompson with a role as an FBI agent in this movie. Jeanne Tripplehorn once had a long-term relationship with actor/director Ben Stiller.
Review Date: August 22, 1999
Director: Kelly Makin
Writers: Adam Sheinman and Robert Kuhn
Producers: Elizabeth Hurley and Charles Mulvehill
Actors: Hugh Grant as Michael Felgate
James Caan as Frank
Jeanne Tripplehorn as Gina
Genre: Comedy
Year of Release: 1999
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(c) 1999 Berge Garabedian
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