Our 5th annual Mob Movie March opens with an out of the box selection in the mafia-esque rom-com “Mickey Blue Eyes.”
Crafted in 1999, “Mickey Blue Eyes” blends the crassness of Brooklyn thuggery with the prim and proper elegance of a sophisticated Brit to make for a very funny film.
It’s fitting that “Mickey Blue Eyes” came to us in 1999. It’s got all the pizzazz and stars from the decade, and is set in New York City amidst all of its pre-9/11 glory. An opening shot of the magnificent Twin Towers lets us know right off the bat just how classic the time of the setting was.
Hugh Grant was a megastar in 1999, and he plays the leading role of Michael Felgate. Michael, as one would expect a Grant character to be, is an auctioneer for a swanky art dealer and his mannerisms are anything other than that of Luca Brasi. Michael is engaged to Gina (fellow 90s star Jeanne Tripplehorn) and the chaos begins as he attempts to get on the good side of her under boss father (James Caan).
“Mickey Blue Eyes” has a weak plot, and to explain it with any great detail would be a wasteful laps of time. Just go into the movie knowing that the script itself – written by a pair of otherwise unknowns – is little more than an excuse to crack jokes. Thankfully, it does that well.
James Caan is a legendary mob character, rising to fame as Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather.” While known for the serious and dark tones of the aforementioned classic, Caan is a hilarious actor when need be. Here he channels his humorous abilities that would lead to his role in the Christmas comedy “Elf.”
And there is no better choice for the uppity Michael Felgate than Hugh Grant, who at one point makes a recorded reminder to rent Casino, Goodfellas, and The Godfather (parts 1-3) to brush up on his Italian skills. The rapport between Caan and Grant is excellent.
Ancillary characters are made up of the same guys you see in the same roles of nearly every mob movie; Joe Viterelli, Tony Darrow, Vincent Pastore, Frank Pellegrino, John Ventimiglia. “Rocky” star Burt Young plays the primary antagonist, and is excellent as is usually the case.
There’s not a lot of bloodshed or violence, but “Mickey Blue Eyes” is a great start to Mob Movie March.
by – Matt DeCristo
