CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPECIFIC FILMS › Films in Release or On Video › Mad Dog and Glory
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Mad Dog and Glory

post #1 of 7
11/11/06 at 5:00pm
Thread Starter 
It was probably all the talk here recently about how far DeNiro has fallen that made me want to watch MAD DOG AND GLORY again. Really great understated turn out of him as a schmo-police photographer who saves the life of a gangster/wannabe comic Bill Murray who then returns the favor by offering him Uma Thurman as a thank-you gift.

As good as DeNiro is, it's Murray who could have come off as bad casting but reigns himself in and is credible in a role that you wouldn't automatically assume he'd be right for. Thurman is also a delight and her love scenes with DeNiro come off very honest.

Aside from the 3 principal leads there's a nice supporting cast on display. Mainly David Caruso as DeNiro's no-nonsense partner. His fight with Murray's #2 guy, played by Mike Starr, is one of the film's best moments.

I think as much as I'd like to see DeNiro bust out of his current funk (I know THE GOOD SHEPHERD could do that) with a HEAT/RONIN type project I'd also be satisfied if he'd take on a character as likeable as Mad Dog sometime soon.
Reply
post #2 of 7
11/13/06 at 12:43am
Seeing Bill Murray smash DeNiro's nose in--and do it convincingly--is one of the best moments of the movie. It's a light affair, but the three leads really sell it, and Thurman has rarely looked hotter. DeNiro shows his softer side without mugging for the camera--something I wish he'd do more often nowadays.

The only thing that didn't work for me was Murray's mobster moonlighting as a stand up comedian. It just felt out of place, a bit too much of a "wink wink" to the audience.
Reply
post #3 of 7
11/13/06 at 12:49am
Yeah I agree with that. The fight between Caruso and Starr is really great too. Thurman was really hot at this time. Shes fallen off a bit since then though.

A solid film.
Reply
post #4 of 7
11/13/06 at 12:59am
Thread Starter 
I got the impression that Murray was only able to perform as a comic because he owned the club. The laughs he gets seem more based out of the audience respecting (or fearing) him than genuinely appreciating his jokes.
You're right about the fight at the end, it's pretty brutal.

The best part of the Caruso/Starr fight is when Caruso is on Starr's back and is about to get smashed into the glass door. The way Caruso convinces Starr to back him into the wall instead is terrific.
Reply
post #5 of 7
11/13/06 at 1:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti
I think as much as I'd like to see DeNiro bust out of his current funk (I know THE GOOD SHEPHERD could do that) with a HEAT/RONIN type project I'd also be satisfied if he'd take on a character as likeable as Mad Dog sometime soon.
DeNiro shows he can throw a punch here. Really solid acting job. But the credit for this flick goes largely to Richard Price, who wrote a terrific story.
Reply
post #6 of 7
11/13/06 at 1:47am
Offbeat movie, I hadn't really heard much of anything about it before I saw it, which surprised me. It's pretty decent, Thurman is the highlight. Murray didn't really work for me, but it's a better movie than its "lost" status implies.
Reply
post #7 of 7
11/13/06 at 2:57am
"Mad Dog & Glory" is a terrific film, and one that I barely hear getting a mention these days (or any day before it). Thinking about the discussion here of what DeNiro used to be and where he is now, and taking into consideration Sick Boy's "Unifying Theory of Life", I threw on "Raging Bull" last night, and sat there in wonderment.

Salad days indeed.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Films in Release or On Video
CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPECIFIC FILMS › Films in Release or On Video › Mad Dog and Glory