barrass
Within this film, there is a restaurant scene, which in my opinion is without doubt one of the funniest scenes of cinema. I have never before laughed out loud so much at a seventy/eighty second stretch of film. Although this one scene steals the film for me every time I watch it, the entire film is filled with gags that really appeal. I have to confess that the plot is entirely clichéd and pointless, but I find that it is a spiritual successor to the black, white and golden age of comedy epitomised by Laurel and Hardy et al. in terms of the facial comedy especially, with James Caan and Hugh Grant excelling in their close up work. If you are looking at this review as an indicator of whether you should watch this film or not, I urge you to ignore the measly mark of 5.7 and take a punt on it. It obviously doesn't appeal to everyone, but if it does appeal to you, you will absolutely love it.....
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews
Considering the concept of this, it could perhaps have been funnier. And if the ending was not as formulaic, unsatisfying and easy to figure out/obvious, that would have been just peachy. But what you get isn't bad. Caan, Grant, Tripplehorn, Young and Viterelli shine. Anyone who would call themselves a fan of one or more of aforementioned may want to consider giving it a look or three. This definitely has memorable moments of pure gold and hilarity. The jokes and gags tend to remain within the confines of what can be called good taste, without being boring. The whole Italian/mobster thing is played well, in spite of somewhat clichéd portrayals here and there. The pacing is good. The music choices are...interesting, but often nice and fitting. As far as mafia comedies go, you can certainly do worse, there are ones out there where you have to wonder why even one movie was made, much less a sequel(read: Analyze This series). I recommend this to all who think this sound appealing. There are scenes in this that can leave you in stitches. It's really too bad both of them are within the first half hour or so. 6/10
Amy Adler
Michael (Hugh Grant) is an art dealer/auctioneer for a Manhattan firm called Cromwell's, a knock-off of Sotheby's. He has a good eye for art and is also a great auction man, as he can liven up any sale with his dry jokes. Good fortune has also smiled on him in the romance department. He has been dating lovely Gina (Jeanne Tripplehorn) for three months and is ready to pop the question. Yet, when he proposes over dinner, Gina starts crying and bolts out of the restaurant. It is not the response Michael expected. But, he learns soon enough about Gina's misgivings. Although she is a public school teacher, Gina is also the daughter of a mobster (James Caan) and the niece of the godfather of the crime family. She fears that Michael will be compromised and drawn into a life of crime if he marries her. Michael insists that he has a strong backbone and will never break the law. Yet, the day after Gina puts on her engagement ring, an ugly and ridiculous painting by her cousin shows up at Cromwell's for the auction. To Michael's surprise, it sells. But, it is part of a money laundering scheme and the FBI shows up at Michael's office. Soon after, Michael's resolve is again compromised....and again and again. Will Michael and Gina find a way out of the mob existence? This film could have been dismissed as a meager mob comedy if not for the talents of Grant. He turns the film into a true winner with his deft touch for humor. Just watch him try to dump a dead body in a trash bag but tell the neighbor lady that he is "merely getting rid of all the foods with sugar" in his refrigerator, having been recently diagnosed as a diabetic. What fun! Watching him attempt to talk like a Brooklyn native is quite a stitch, too. Caan, Tripplehorn and, especially James Fox as the auction house owner, also play their parts well. The production values are high, as the film sports nice costumes, good settings, and zestful scene changes. No, it is not the funniest mob comedy of all time, and definitely not in the same category as Married to the Mob. Yet, if you love romantic comedies with a twist and/or you adore Grant, you will find this film very worthwhile. Make a date with Mickey soon, very soon.
Framescourer
Hugh Grant reprises his old moves in a film that reprises old themes for laughs. Recent (noughties) Hugh Grant films have had a knowing respectability about them. Before these were films like 9 Months and this one - recycled, market driven nonsense.So we're given the cast of The Sopranos (apparently), a ratpack soundtrack and endless, feeble mobflick parody that's not funny but black, stifling and cringeworthy by turns.Even Jeanne Tripplehorn is miscast, bringing too much gravity to her functional love interest. It's surprisingly difficult to pull off black comedy - applying the funnies to the wiseguys is no different and this one pretty much fails. 2/10
AD
