Sick Product of a Sick System

Don't listen to the negative reviews

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I would have believed this to have been the worst movie of all time until I read that this was supposed to be the life story of mobster-rat Henry Hill whose mob career was featured in Goodfellas.The opening premise is that gangster Vincent 'Vinnie' Antonelli (Steve Martin)'s garishly dressed wife joined Vinnie in Witness Protection so that Vinnie could get a house. Poor Vinnie doesn't even know how to use a lawn mower. While Vinnie struggles with the concept of mowing the lawn, Steve Martin flubs Brooklynese, massacring the entire dialect so incomprehensibly that the average affectionado of the tongue of Kings (Kings County that is) couldn't fathom a word Martin was trying to say. Someone might have told poor Steve that Italians lead all others in home ownership and tenderly care for the humblest plot.Yet Vinnie finds a suburban Eden a little too disquietly quiet. He teams up with a few other exiled mobsters in reversion to their sordid games, only to be rescued from local law enforcement by the FBI. To that extent the movie gives an accurate picture if not often with comical overtones, of Witness Protection. Hill in various TV interviews acknowledges having lapsed despite attempts of the FBI to bail him out of new trouble by relocating him.Vinnie faces a formidable adversary in local prosecutor Hannah Stubbs (Joan Cusack) who is constantly frustrated in ridding the town of Vinnie.Poor Execution by Martin of the Brooklyn accent, the uncharitable view of Italians, and giddy silliness about a serious problem: Federally Supported and Funded Crime Waves through Witness Protection won a *** 1 *** rating from me.Vinnie in this movie

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.

My blue heaven is a wonderful farce made in 1990 starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Joan Cussack. In classic fashion this movie presents situations that are so humorous because of their ridiculous nature. But don't underestimate the power of this farce as a vehicle to show the transformation each character. Vinnie becomes an honest citizen, Barney learns how to spice up his life to a salsa, and Hanna gets rid of her Army shoes.You may see similarities between this movie and Martin Scorsese-type New York gangster movies. Purportedly My Blue Heaven was loosely based on the story of Henry Hill, Good Fella and famous snitch. Many of the external characterizations by the stock characters are seen in both types of "hey-howya-doin" movies.True to being full of exaggeration, watch how Vinnie (Martin) talks his way out of grand theft auto when talking to Hanna Stubbs (Cusak) a prudish assistant DA. Little things are exaggerated but divulge the essence of each character like Barney (uptight, by-the-book geek) getting caught by his seat-belt harness.All of the verbal and physical humor is way over the top using deliberately exaggerating gesticulations, footwork, and language.Great songs set the farce in motion and vaudevillian acting keeps it going. The movie opens with My Blue Heaven as song by Fats Domino; Angel in paradise belted out by Tony Bennet's. You will want to learn how to do the merengue and salsa after watching Barney get an education from Vinnie and girls in New York. For the action loving fan watch the wham-bam-sock'em number Barney does on Daniel Stern, Hanna's ex-husband. A real treat is watching Bill Irwin playing Kirby, Barney's FBI partner. Irwin is a Tony award winning comic, mime, choreographer, Mr. Noodle on Elmo's world, and star of the stage. A lot of viewers have no idea the Bill Irwin is the Charlie Chaplin of our time.And Shaldeen (Carol Kane) as the leopard skin wearing hootchie-mama. Vinnie: It is dangerous for you to be here in the frozen food section Shaldeen: Why is that? Vinnie: Because you could melt all this stuff. And she buckles at the knees. What a hoot!I gave My Blue Heaven movie ten stars because it is a classic farce that uses quick physical comedy and tight dialogue to generate a good feeling for you.

Heaven help those communities that are chosen as a haven for criminals that are cooperating with the government. Most of them are out of the way, and in the case of this movie, Vinnie Antonelli, the FBI's witness from hell, sticks out like a sore thumb! This film had the right ingredients going for it. Where did it go wrong?, one will never know! With a talent like Herbert Ross directing, and a screen play written by Nora Ephron, one of the best women in the business, as a writer and a director, it sounded like the perfect team to make this film a winner. Not having seen it when it first came out, and having heard it was not worth the effort, we decided to watch it when it was shown on cable recently.Steve Martin is a genius in his own right. That said, like some other funny men, without the reining power of a good director, Mr. Martin tends to overdo his roles. This is unfortunate because when he is good, he is excellent. The problem with the film is that we don't buy the idea this jerk, Vinnie, has any redeeming qualities. In fact, he goes into his own criminal activities, which seems to be possible. We have heard how a famous criminal, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, doing this type of thing while in protective custody, with a new identity getting into drug trafficking!The film will not add anything to Mr. Martin's resume, or to Joan Cusak, Bill Irwin, Karol Kane and the rest.Don't say you weren't warned.