Movies
Mickey Blue Eyes (1999, Hugh Grant, James Caan)
Aristocratic English auctioneer Michael Felgate (Hugh Grant) innocently proposes to his girlfriend Gina (Jeanne Tripplehorn), little realising that her initial refusal is prompted by the fact that she is the daughter of prominent local New York mobster Frank Vitale (James Caan). However, once she accepts, the proud father-in-law wants to introduce Michael to the family ‘business’ and Michael’s life becomes a bizarre mixture of his normal auction house job and something resembling Goodfellas.
In between dealing with the new family and comedy lessons in Italian pronunciation, Michael also has to launder some of Godfather Vito’s (Burt Young) son’s excrutiating paintings through his art house. However, everything falls apart when the son is accidentally shot and the FBI become involved.
As ever, Grant plays the stammering and confused English fop to perfection and easily wins over the audience in this amiable and light-hearted comedy. Tripplehorn makes the most of her role as Gina, terrified of losing the man she loves to the designs of her family, while Caan excels as Frank in a part that could have been specifically written for him.
production details
USA | 102 minutes | 1999
Director: Kelly Makin
Script: Adam Scheinman, Robert Kuhn,
cast
Frank Pellegrino as Sante
James Fox as Philip Cromwell
Hugh Grant as Michael Felgate
Maddie Corman as Carol the Photographer
James Caan as Frank Vitale
Jeanne Tripplehorn as Gina Vitale
Burt Young as Vito Graziosi
Joe Viterelli as Vinnie D’Agostino
Gerry Becker as FBI Agent Bob Connell
Tony Darrow as Angel
Paul Lazar as Ritchie Vitale
Vincent Pastore as Al
Scott Thompson as FBI Agent Lewis
John Ventimiglia as Johnny Graziosi