Nous ne sommes pas des anges

Some movies become forgotten over the years, and "We're No Angels" is one of them. It's not a great comedy, but it's not a bad one, either. It's far more serious and moralistic than I had ever imagined, and Robert De Niro and Sean Penn essentially run around posing funny faces for the camera throughout, whilst the Catholic religion is used as a structural backdrop. It's a very different sort of role for De Niro, whose comedy is usually a bit more sophisticated. Here he barely talks at all, and when he does, it's usually harsh barking or screaming or frustrated whispers. It's not De Niro's most memorable role but it's certainly an unusual one.

A lot of the movie focuses on mishaps and misconceptions, as all of the movies from this genre do. It bears resemblance to last year's "School of Rock," about a loser who was mistaken for a teacher. This time the loser is equal to a pair of two escaped convicts and the teacher position is likewise that of priests.

The story all begins with Ned (De Niro) and Jimmy (Penn) escaping from a northern jail circa 1930. After heading for the Canadian border, they find themselves pursued by a ruthless jail warden and a town of do-gooders. Luckily for the duo, right before they come to the Canadian border, they are mistaken for two long-lost Catholic priests, Fathers Brown (Penn) and O'Reilly (De Niro). After given an introduction to the area by a fellow priest (Hoyt Axton), they decide to hide out for a while using their new personas. No one would ever suspect a priest, right?

The problem is that Fathers Brown and O'Reilly are supposed to be two of the smartest priests alive, having written a controversial book about the true meaning of the chapter Revelations in the Bible. So you can imagine the fear that Jimmy experiences when he is asked to lead the church in a pray prior to a meal.

Meanwhile, the mandatory romance is inserted into the movie, using Demi Moore's single, rough, over-protective mother as the love angle for De Niro's character. Demi spits out an unconvincing northern accent, as De Niro stares at her a lot with critical eyes and tries to get her into bed. The romance is not necessary but it seems a lot more worthwhile than most of the romances in some of these films.

The movie is one of the most forgotten I have ever seen; I'd never really heard of it prior to purchasing the newly-issued DVD. But I figured De Niro and Penn couldn't be that bad, and I was right.

I think part of the reason so many people like to ignore it is that it doesn't poke fun at religion. It doesn't make the clergymen out to be strange idiots. Rather, it makes the two escaped convicts seem out-of-place in a heartwarming place. The spirituality affects Penn's character, Jimmy, and his final decision on the bridge that separates Canada from America is one that we have sensed was long coming since his fascination in the church grew.

De Niro and Penn have two of the best faces in Hollywood, and a movie like "We're No Angels" uses this to its advantage. Making up for the long gaps of laughter, the director, Neil Jordan, focuses more on his two lead actors and their reactions to situations. Most of the time throughout the film, De Niro shrugs his shoulders a lot and emits low, agreeable groans from his throat in response to questions, while Penn looks confused and bewildered. There's a great scene where an eager-to-please clergyman (John C. Reilly) asks "Father Brown" something about his book, and Penn sort of stares at him for a few moments with searching eyes, trying to find a way out of the situation.

For some reason, the mistaken identities setup has been a long-time fascination for Hollywood. Just look at "Some Like it Hot," "Tootsie," "Nuns on the Run," "Sister Act," "School of Rock," etc. I think it's because we can all relate to a lot of the situations that the characters go through, and a lot of the embarrassment they suffer. We like to watch them ease their way out of dangerous areas and lie through their teeth.

"We're No Angels" is one of the better examples of this formula executed quite well. It's not a terrific movie, but the actors are, and the script by David Mamet comes up with its own occasionally hilarious segments that make the movie uneven, but a lot more fun than you might expect. No, it's not great, but it's just funny -- and sweet -- enough to recommend.

3.5/5 stars.

• John Ulmer

This movie is one of my great favorites. I admire the story, first; I admire wonderful text and phrases and use to quote them; but, what is the most important about this movie, it's really an example of GOOD, nice and gentle, Christian humor. All little miracles in this movie can be considered fun and miracles in the same time. I loved the atmosphere of the movie, and the characters, and again and again, this gentle humor, so you can laugh and think about belief things... This movie I wouldn't recommend to those who refuse all christianity-related jokes. They would barely understand it... otherwise, it's nice, it's warm, it's what I call "good movie".

Everyone knows what a black comedy is. But is there is such a thing as a white comedy? I think so, and I think this is one of them. In the same way that '21 Grams' works a fairly serious portrayal of a crisis of faith into a tense melodramatic thriller, 'We're No Angels' actually masks some serious thoughtfulness about the importance of faith and hope into a decently funny comedy of mistaken identity. It also illustrates concretely the truth of C.S. Lewis's famous dictum (from the Screwtape Letters)that all men become what they are pretending to be.

The movie is very plotty and all the loose points neatly wrapped up. What a lot of the critics have missed is that all of the jokes are thematic, and tied to the central topics of the movie.

I am not at all conventionally religious, but I do appreciate faith, and I liked this movie quite a bit.

With practically no resemblance to the 1955 Humphrey Bogart movie (nor to the play it was adapted from), film-buffs might find themselves perplexed as how to take this remake: two convicts escape prison and find themselves in a border town disguised as priests. What could be formulaic actually has some grit and ambiance to go along with its slapstick. Demi Moore, as a single mother of ill repute, gives one of her best performances and works very well with Robert De Niro, who takes a while to warm up (he's not a mugger, but is encouraged in that direction by director Neil Jordan). Sean Penn, on the other hand, never quite finds his way here, using a thick accent which is mildly irritating. Much better is John C. Reilly in a fantastic supporting bit as a novice priest who worships Penn, and there's a cute little girl in the movie who never acts like a movie kid (she's a natural). Lots of surprises in this critically-lambasted comedy, not the least of which is an extremely moving finale involving a waterfall and a holy statue. **1/2 from ****

We're No Angels,First-Viewing, owned VHS,(Neil Jordan)- Robert DeNiro, Sean Penn, Demi Moore, John C. Reily, Bruno Kirby, James Russo

An interesting comedy starring two very talented actors. This is the first comedy role I've seen DeNiro in prior to his 90s comedies (analyze this, meet the parents, etc…). DeNiro and Penn play escaped convicts who disguise themselves in a small town. Although DeNiro is great, and in certain scenes definitely shows his superiority as an actor, Penn overall gives the better performance. With a more complex character, yet simple (he is very simple-minded, but a complex character), his performance is very good. Although Demi Moore really didn't have a big role, she was convincing as a local woman in the small town. John C. Reily, once again gives a good performance, in a similar role to that of his in 'Casualties of War'. Overall a good film for laughs and well done by the director and screenwriter. Thought the acting was the highlight, and had some very funny scenes. 8/10