Plot: What’s it about?
Angela DeMarco (Michelle Pfeiffer) has been waiting for the chance to start a new life, and that chance has just come along. After dealing with her cheating husband Frank (Alec Baldwin) for longer than she wants to think about, Angela is now free from his presence once and for all. Did she finally divorce him? No, but someone made sure he wasn’t coming home, and flat out bumped him off. While it seems as though she can finally leave it all behind her, Angela now finds herself pursued by Frank’s old boss, Tony “The Tiger” Russo (Dean Stockwell). Russo wasn’t only Frank’s boss, but he was also the man who killed him, perhaps in an effort to make his move on Angela. Sound criminal? You see, Russo is the head of a powerful mafia family, for whom Frank was a worker until his untimely demise. But Angela manages to escape to Long Island, where she gets a new job and starts her new life. But with Russo sniffing the trail to try to win her over and the F.B.I. trying to close in on an arrest, it will be very hard for Angela to have a normal life any time soon.
This is a movie that I’ve several times and like, but don’t consider to be among my favorites. The storyline is fresh and well executed and the humor shines through, but it just doesn’t have much replay value with me. I still think it’s worth adding to my collection though, especially with a new anamorphic widescreen transfer and a low price point. Had this been issued like most of MGM’s catalog titles, with a laserdisc rehash transfer though, I would have passed in a heartbeat. I’ll discuss the technical specs of the discs later on though, it’s time to talk about the movie itself. This is in a similar vein to the recent wave of mobster comedies such as Mickey Blues Eyes, The Whole Nine Yards, and Analyze This, so if you like those movies then you’ll want to give this one a chance. The writing is excellent and provides more than predictable situations and characters, it offers some unique and hilarious moments. Of course there’s some romance thrown in as well, so I suppose if you’re a die-hard romantic comedy buff this would be of interest to you as well. The movie makes for an easy recommendation for comedy fans of all types and the disc is also a solid effort. Now if MGM could issue all their catalog titles in anamorphic widescreen like this, I’d be as happy as a clam.
This film was directed by Jonathan Demme, who helmed this movie before he took home an Oscar for his work on The Silence Of The Lambs. While Demme is best known for his work on dramatic films, he has also directed some very entertaining comedies, such as this film. Demme uses some nice visual candy in this movie also, such as the bright colors and camera movements. Demme’s eclectic resume also includes Melvin and Howard, Stop Making Sense, Something Wild, Beloved, and Philadelphia. Michelle Pfeiffer plays the lead in this movie, and she looks, sounds, and moves just like her character would. Pfeiffer (Dangerous Minds, The Story Of Us) is a skilled dramatic performer, but her comedic talents are also worth watching. Matthew Modine (Full Metal Jacket) also some serious screen time, and he gives a solid back up turn as the romantic interest. The supporting cast includes Alec Baldwin (Outside Providence, The Juror), Dean Stockwell (Tv’s Quantum Leap), Joan Cusack (Addam’s Family Values, Grosse Point Blank), Charles Napier (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me), and Mercedes Ruehl (Gia, The Minus Man).
Video: How does it look?
Married To The Mob is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation, with a full frame version also included on the disc’s flip side. I didn’t expect much from this transfer, but MGM has come through on this title with flying colors. This is a brightly colored movie and this disc handles every hue with no problems, even flesh tones seem natural and consistent. I was quite surprised with how bright the colors were, I expected some fading but none was present. The contrast is also excellent, with well defined shadows and no evidence of detail loss to be noted. This is the finest looking release for this film to date, so if you like this movie you’re in for a treat.
Audio: How does it sound?
I never expect much from 2.0 surround tracks, but this one really impressed me. That’s not to say the speakers shook the room or anything, but the mix was more immersive and active than I had expected. I’m very pleased with this mix, which offers a superb audio atmosphere for this film, even though it’s not really an audio driven movie. The music sounds very good and full, and effects never drown out the other elements, both are distinct and effective. This is still a dialogue driven movie though, and the vocals come across clear and with no volume issues present.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The insert booklet has some production notes, and the theatrical trailer is housed on the disc itself.
