Das Schlitzohr von der Mafia

I saw this movie not long after its release in August,1990. It was a rather important and memorable part of my young life:I was getting ready to move off to college(among other things)and was needing a little distraction. Since I fancied myself as a Steve MArtin fanatic(still kinda do),I felt like I HAD to see this. While I would've never--not then,probably not now,either--thought this to be anything of great work,it's still a blissfully wonderful comedy.

You might be able to take Vincent "Vinnie" Antonelli(Steve Martin,full-tilt commitment to the role)out of organized crime and the big city,but you cannot take the organized crime or big city out of Vinnie,as he frequently goes astray of the law in his witness relocation in a quiet desert community outside of San Diego. The fed assigned him Barney Coopersmith(Rick Moranis,mensch)seems to be woefully unable to keep a leash on his charge,but it's alright because while Vinnie may not sit still in protective custody,he's got a big heart for those around him keeping him out of prison. Naturally,while Vinnie may not be always above board about his actions,he's still pretty good on his word and intentions.

Easy,breezy comedy directed by the late Herbert Ross and penned by Nora Ephron(who seems to be a much better screenwriter than director),it's a film that is as light as air on a subject not normally broached in this manner(even Analyze This! and its sequel,Analyze That! still had a somewhat heavy air in them,albeit still largely tongue-in-cheek). Credit the deft and intentional script and the intensely likable interplay between Martin and Moranis(not to mention the potential love relationship/tension brought on by Joan Cusack as a divorced mom and zealous local DA)for this fact.

I saw this again recently having bought this on a "Two-fer" disc that was paired with The Man With Two Brains. While I bought the disc primarily to watch THAT film,this add-on was not only a good re-watch(or even,come to think about it,re-re-watch)but brought back a long,pleasant memory or two of film-going.

Steve Martin is a mobster turned informant in the U.S. Witness Protection Program, but his dishonest habits are hard to break in this clever little comedy. Director Herbert Ross uses a smart screenplay, talented performers, and a great premise to make "My Blue Heaven" work a lot better than most films of its genre. Rick Moranis is the FBI agent who tries to protect Martin from mafia hitmen and more dangerously himself. Joan Cusack is priceless as a local district attorney who wants to get Martin for every little offense he commits while awaiting his court date to testify. William Hickey is also good as one of Martin's shady friends. A good little film overall. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The mobster Vincent 'Vinnie' Antonelli (Steve Martin) is under the witness protection program and the FBI agent Barney Coopersmith (Rick Moranis) is assigned to take Vinnie and his wife Linda to a house in the suburbs. However their wives leave Vinnie and Barney and the agent gets closer to the gangster and befriends him. Vinnie is a bon vivant and a crook and does not keep the necessary low profile. The District Attorney Hannah Stubbs (Joan Cusack) arrests him but Barney releases him from jail since he needs to testify against the Mafia. Soon Barney falls in love with Stubbs, but Vinnie gets into many troubles calling the attention of two hit men from the Mafia. The police officer Crystal Rybak (Melanie Mayron) protects him and they also falls in love with each other. In the end, the good-hearted Vinnie becomes a prominent personality in the suburbs.

"My Blue Heaven" is a heartwarming comedy with funny moments. The good story is wasted with the uneven screenplay. Vinnie in the supermarket is hilarious and maybe the best moment of this movie. The conclusion is corny but entertaining. Steve Martin was originally cast as Barney and Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast as Vinnie but he left the production to work in "Kindengarten Cop". My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Meu Pequeno Paraíso" ("My Little Heaven")

My wife & I really enjoyed this film, and I was previewing it to see if it was appropriate for my kids because of the PG-13 rating. There really wasn't anything I found to justify the PG-13 rating. The only thing that came close was the description of a mob hit, talking about a 22 caliber bullet bouncing around inside the victim's head. But that is so brief it hardly bears mention. The rest of the movie is pure enjoyable fun, with Steve Martin as the mobster under the witness protection program who can't keep out of trouble, and Rick Moranis as the FBI agent assigned to baby-sit him. Great dialog, good middle-america footage, and well-played contrast between cardboard cookie-cutter track living as opposed to the big city life of New York.

At the time of its release, I thought this might be Steve Martin's best work. He's done so many good things that I wouldn't say what's his best anymore but he is very good in here. His Italian hoodlum accent is funny and the unique character he plays, "Vinnie Antonelli" is very entertaining to see and hear.

This isn't a laugh-out-loud-type of comedy but a pleasant one all the way through with good subtle humor. The first half of the story was much better than the second half. It gets cornier as it goes on. Martin's supporting cast - Rick Moranis and Joan Cusack - don't quite cut it as an FBI man and district attorney, respectively, being ridiculous clown-type characters but, hey, this isn't supposed to be taken seriously. Moranis' "Barney Coppersmith" is stupid but likable and Cusack's "Hannah Stubbs" is overly silly.

The language is very tame, especially for a PG-13 film. It's just a nice lighthearted comedy, worth a look or two. I saw it three times and by then, that was enough. The DVD version I saw wasn't a whole lot better than the tape with poor surround sound and a so-so transfer.