Mickey Blue-eyes
posted August 1, 2008 10:00 AM
Without Hugh Grant, "Mickey Blue-Eyes" would be close to unwatchable. But the film does star the ever-charming Grant, and he does everything but the full monty to make you laugh.
"Mickey Blue-Eyes" returns Grant ("Notting Hill," "Four Weddings and a Funeral") to familiar romantic comedy territory. He portrays Michael Felgate, an Englishman who runs an auction house in New York City. Michael's in love and after only three months of dating, he proposes to his girlfriend Gina (Jeanne Tripplehorn). She initially refuses, explaining that her family is mob-connected and that any man who gets involved with her will become corrupted. Michael assures Gina that he's up for the challenge, and she relents. However, before you can say "that's amore," he's lying to Gina, helping to launder money, and is even an accessory to murder.
The running joke in "Mickey Blue Eyes" is that Michael, an uptight Brit, is a very obvious fish out of water in the mob community. When Gina's father Frank (James Caan) tries to teach Michael how to talk like a wiseguy and embody the titular "Mickey Blue- Eyes" persona in order to avoid being found out by Frank's mobster cronies, the results are hilarious. Grant does the worst "fuhgeddaboutit" ever recorded on film. However, these moments are only pulled off thanks to Grant's comedic talents. The screenplay by Adam Scheinman and Robert Kuhn is incredibly predictable and Kelly Makin's direction is by-the-numbers. From the moment the soundtrack starts playing Italian songs featured in every other mob movie, a creeping sense of familiarity with the material becomes overwhelming. "Mickey Blue-Eyes" is an amalgamation of previous, better films, including "Moonstruck," "Married to the Mob" and "The Freshman." Starring Hugh Grant, Jeanne Tripplehorn and James Caan. Directed by Kelly Makin. Written by Adam Scheinman and Robert Kuhn. Produced by Elizabeth Hurley and Charles Mulvehill. A Warner Bros. release. Romantic comedy. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some violence and sensuality. Running time: 100 min
"Mickey Blue-Eyes" returns Grant ("Notting Hill," "Four Weddings and a Funeral") to familiar romantic comedy territory. He portrays Michael Felgate, an Englishman who runs an auction house in New York City. Michael's in love and after only three months of dating, he proposes to his girlfriend Gina (Jeanne Tripplehorn). She initially refuses, explaining that her family is mob-connected and that any man who gets involved with her will become corrupted. Michael assures Gina that he's up for the challenge, and she relents. However, before you can say "that's amore," he's lying to Gina, helping to launder money, and is even an accessory to murder.
The running joke in "Mickey Blue Eyes" is that Michael, an uptight Brit, is a very obvious fish out of water in the mob community. When Gina's father Frank (James Caan) tries to teach Michael how to talk like a wiseguy and embody the titular "Mickey Blue- Eyes" persona in order to avoid being found out by Frank's mobster cronies, the results are hilarious. Grant does the worst "fuhgeddaboutit" ever recorded on film. However, these moments are only pulled off thanks to Grant's comedic talents. The screenplay by Adam Scheinman and Robert Kuhn is incredibly predictable and Kelly Makin's direction is by-the-numbers. From the moment the soundtrack starts playing Italian songs featured in every other mob movie, a creeping sense of familiarity with the material becomes overwhelming. "Mickey Blue-Eyes" is an amalgamation of previous, better films, including "Moonstruck," "Married to the Mob" and "The Freshman." Starring Hugh Grant, Jeanne Tripplehorn and James Caan. Directed by Kelly Makin. Written by Adam Scheinman and Robert Kuhn. Produced by Elizabeth Hurley and Charles Mulvehill. A Warner Bros. release. Romantic comedy. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some violence and sensuality. Running time: 100 min
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Christopher Rushlau said:
Rorschach inkblots are useful, according to the movies, in diagnosing mental disturbances.
Reading people's responses to movies might, in the same way, tell us a lot more about the people making the criticisms than they tell us about the movie.
I'm watching "Mickey Blue Eyes". Ensemble acting. Timing. Evident belief in the project by everyone on the cast and crew. Gentle but incisive humor. Life and death handled deftly.
Perfect on every count.
So what is Cristan Ginther telling us about? Was Ginther told by "the man" to condemn this movie? Who did it threaten?
I'd say that today, in 2009, any signs of solidarity--living, vital consensus--might threaten the powers that be. "Divide and Conquer," seems to be the order of the day since 9-1-1.
But in 1999, why should beauty shared threaten Cristan Ginther and "the man"?
The answer would be that 9-1-1 did not change anything, really, but only took the lid off what already was the state of play in the US.
March 28, 2009 12:37 PM