MAD DOG AND GLORY
A film review by Scott Fisher
Copyright 1995 Scott Fisher
(1993) MPAA rating: R Directed by John McNaughton. Lead actors: Robert DeNiro, Uma Thurman, Bill Murray.
Let's get one thing straight up front. MAD DOG AND GLORY is NOT a drama. When I rented it on video tape, the store had put it in the Drama section (as has the Internet Movie Database). I'm not sure it's a comedy though. Deconstructionist satire might be a way to describe it. Its charm comes from breaking expectations--showing life in an unflattering, unexpected, and humorous way.
Superficially, the plot seems as though it belongs to a traditional romantic comedy--THE BUTCHER'S WIFE, or WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, for example. Wayne (DeNiro), a middle-aged cop, intervenes in a convenience store robbery, saving mob boss (Murray) being held at gun point. The next day, Wayne receives an invitation to a party at a local comedy club. Frank, the mob boss that Wayne saved, turns out to own the club. He does stand-up comedy there for all his mob friends. In gratitude for saving his life, Frank sends Glory (Thurman) to live with Wayne for a week to "make him happy." At first Wayne tries to ignore Glory, but they eventually fall in love--Wayne no longer wants to give Glory back after the week is over. The conflict between Wayne's love for Glory and the fear of defying Frank form the basic conflict.
After the summary, you might wonder why MAD DOG AND GLORY is any different than any romantic comedy.
First, consider that Bill Murray plays a mob boss while DeNiro takes the part of a cop. DeNiro usually plays the famous gangster. Second, DeNiro is not heroic (in any traditional sense). He's scared witless in the robbery in which he saves Frank's life. A non-aggressive cop? When was the last time you saw that in a movie?
The list of shattered expectations goes on and on: the sex scene, instead of being glamorous, is downright awkward and humorous. The mob boss, has a sensitive and insecure side (he talks about his psychologist constantly), instead of being the powerful and threatening person portrayed in most movies. Though the script keeps foreshadowing the death of DeNiro's partner, he never dies. Almost every time you expect something to happen, something different occurs instead.
After reading a few reviews of the movie at the Internet Movie Database, I was amazed that people took it so seriously. Many apparently took it at face value--as a drama. The humor was deadpan and sometimes subtle--the kind of thing you'd expect if David Byrne and Woody Allen made a movie together. Still, I'd think that most people would pick up on it. Then again, I know some people who took _Spinal Tap_ at face value, as a "rockumentary." Maybe some awareness of movie conventions and stereotypes is necessary to enjoy this movie.
I loved this movie, and though it had its share of problems, it's one of the best movies I've seen in the last year. Though rough around the edges, this thinking person's comedy brings something lively to the screen. If you want to watch something tired and homogenized, look elsewhere. MAD DOG AND GLORY's sense of comedic adventure make this movie a very entertaining experience.
Rating: *** (8 on a scale of 1 to 10).
-- Scott Fisher
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