Cast:

Michael Felgate - Hugh Grant

Frank Vitale - James Caan

Gina Vitale - Jeanne Tripplehorn

Directors: Kelly Makin

I know that some people like them, but honestly, I have never seen the appeal of rice cakes. They are bland, tasteless, and blah. I know they are good for you, and do not do any harm, but do they really do any good? I am sure I will hear from the health nuts if so. Whereas some movies come across as cinematic Chinese food, being satisfying, but forgettable an hour later, Mickey Blue Eyes is a cinematic ricecake. It is bland, boring, never exciting, nor fulfilling, not bad for you, but I really cannot see how it's good for you either.
It takes on the personality of its star Hugh Grant. It is smiling funny, and cutesy at certain points, but never really conveys any sense of danger or fear to find humor in because frankly Grant never appears to be afraid. He just plays his typical British fish out of water, all that is different is the backdrop and scenario. Instead of a medical controversy (Extreme Measures), the perils of stardom on the everyman (Notting Hill) or impending fatherhood (Nine Months), he seems to play out of place very naturally. As a whole, the story plays out similar to the much better and funnier Analyze This. Good "family" people intermingling into the life of someone who does not normally mix with that crowd. Situations abound, but hilarity does not ensue. Caan seems to be playing his role as if Fredo had lived on and been mellowed a bit by the years. His chemistry with Grant never seems to connect or go anywhere, unlike DeNiro and Crystal. By the way, when did the mafia become humorous?? One spoof or two maybe was enough (Married to The Mob was okay as well), but anything more than that is overkill, and that's where this movie falls.

Tripplehorn is the only one who is consistently entertaining, only because she gets to go through a range of realistic emotions and transformations through the film. It was kind of nice to see Burt Young and Joe Viterelli give stereotypical, but entertaining performances as other "family" people, but there was not enough of them, nor anything that I had not seen before. I watched the movie, and was entertained at points, but was never blown away, or awestruck. I came in a few minutes and did not miss anything, except the previews, and that bothered me more than missing the first part of the movie. As I said, I smiled, maybe even chuckled a bit, but never thought that it got going or rolling. Another thing I have always enjoyed (and been pained by) in movies like this, is the amount of food and dining done. Only one scene conveyed that feeling (I went to the concession stand soon after and still did not feel anymore clueless than anyone who stayed there) Mickey Blue Eyes starts out in a mudhole, and just never recovers, despite its efforts. Grant does his best, but just does not fit in this role, and since he is the star and fails, the movie goes with him, and by the very predictable conclusion, it is swimming with fishes as well. Wait for the TV-movie on a Sunday night.  ($1/2 of $$$$)

Actor and movie information courtesy of the Internet Movie Database

Images courtesy of Mickey Blue Eyes Official Website

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