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Professor Henry Higgins turns Eliza Doolittle, an
unkempt Cockney flower vendor, into an elegant
lady in the many versions of George Bernard Shaw’s
Pygmalion. Who can forget Rex Harrison and Audrey
Hepburn in My Fair Lady, the magnificent film
musical based on this classic? In Mickey Blue
Eyes, a similar challenge faces James Caan. He
plays a mob-connected owner of a New York Italian
restaurant whose daughter (Jeanne Tripplehorn)
falls for a very, very British art auctioneer
(Hugh Grant). After an accidental killing takes
place, Caan needs Grant’s assistance to outwit his
enemies. But first he must teach the awkward
Englishman how to act like a “made man.”
Compared to Caan’s problems, Professor Higgins’
task seems as simple as pouring a cup of tea. When
Grant mumbles his wiseguy lingo, he’s a cross
between Monty Python’s John Cleese and Benny Hill.
When he passes himself off as a tough guy, he’s
more Mickey Mouse than Mickey Blue Eyes (his fake
gangster moniker). Grant is quite funny in these
well-written scenes, mostly because he treats
everything so seriously.
Director Kelly Makin (Brain Candy) admits being
attracted to the script because of Grant’s
involvement in the project. “You could just see
Hugh in this role, in these situations. There’s
nothing better than Hugh Grant backed into a
corner,” says the talented Canadian filmmaker.
Grant himself worked on the screenplay for two
years with writers Adam Scheinman and Robert Kuhn.
The whole story was molded for this popular star
of such hits as Four Weddings and a Funeral and
Notting Hill. These efforts paid off handsomely,
giving Grant the chance to deliver one of his best
performances ever.
Other members of the cast shine in their roles
too. Tripplehorn (Waterworld), usually seen in
dramas, shows an excellent flair for comedy as a
woman who fears the man she loves will be
corrupted by her father and his associates.
Together, this stunning actress and the boyishly
handsome Grant generate plenty of on-screen sparks
and humor. Caan (The Godfather, This Is My Father)
almost steals the film as Tripplehorn’s
Mafia-burdened father. His rendition of “You’re
Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You” left me hungry for
more. As a godfather figure who ventures into the
New York art world, Burt Young (Rocky) makes his
role come to life with surprising authenticity.
James Fox (Remains of the Day) does the same with
his portrayal of an auction house owner described
by Grant as “the most English and the nicest man
in the world.”
Like so many other films, including Analyze This,
The Freshman, and Jane Austen's Mafia, this
romantic comedy pokes fun at gangsters and Italian
stereotypes. But Mickey Blue Eyes boasts a new
twist and performances it would be a crime to
miss. Now that’s an entertainment offer you can’t
refuse.
(Released by Castle Rock Entertainment/Simian
Films and rated “PG-13” for brief strong language,
some violence and sensuality.)
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