WE’RE NO ANGELS

(director: Neil Jordan; screenwriters: David Mamet, Ranald MacDougall, from the play La Cuisine des Anges by Albert Husson ; cinematographer: Philippe Rouselot; editors: Mick Audsley, Joke van Wijk; music: George Fenton; cast: Robert De Niro (Ned), Sean Penn (Jim), Demi Moore (Molly), James Russo (Bobby), Ray MacAnally (Warden), Wallace Shawn (Translator), Ken Buhay (Bishop Nogalich), Elizabeth Lawrence (Mrs. Blair), Jay Brazeau (Sheriff), John C. Reilly (Young Monk), Bruno Kirby (Deputy), Hoyt Axton (Father Levesque); Runtime: 108; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producer: Art Linson; Paramount Pictures; 1989)

“Despite the talented cast and film crew, It fails to be either funny or smart.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

The sluggish Neil Jordan (“Marlowe”/”Greta”) directed and David Mamet scripted comedy follows the same story-line as the director Michael Curtiz’s much better 1955 Humphrey Bogart picture of the same name about a trio of escaped convicts (this film has 2 escaped convicts). Despite the talented cast and film crew, It fails to be either funny or smart. It’s based on the play La Cuisine des Anges by Albert Husson.

In the 1930s, convicts Ned (Robert De Niro) and Jim (Sean Penn) break out of a wicked prison and disguise themselves as priests. They  hide in a Catholic monastery, located in a border town, and are accepted as celebrated priests. Meanwhile they try to cross the well-guarded  border into Canada, until the law catches up with them.

Demi Moore plays the local border town girl who hooks up with De Niro. Aside from being pretty to look at, offers no saving grace for this misfire.




REVIEWED ON 9/4/2023  GRADE: C+–