Analyze This

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Michael H I’ve seen professional critics lambast this for its use of mafia movie tropes, and claim it as unoriginal in that regard. This is to completely miss the point of this movie. Every cliche is completely self aware. Every mafia cartoon character is so gloriously overstated, the overbearing Jewish father, the mildly corrupt FBI, it’s all a feast of overt obviousness. The real power of the film, is the deft comic hand of director, Harold Ramis, and the precision with which he wields it. He maintains the silliness perfectly, the comic level and timing of the film is kept in check right throughout. The actual serious moments, still played with a hackneyed flair by the supremely talented two leads, is used as a surgically placed delicacy throughout. The perfectly replicated homage scenes to Godfather, were a perfectly produced nod to the nostalgia that was woven through this movie. They’re not cliches, they’re lovingly restored moments that show the nostalgia and love for the genre of these filmmakers and the cast. This is a comedy, and the comedy in it is always good and at times, elevated to greatness. If you haven’t seen it, or haven’t seen it in a while. Find it and watch it. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/26/25 Full Review Audience Member another film by the late Harold Ramis focusing on the psychology of a gangster as well as his psychiatrist a fine cast made up of Robert DiNiro, Billy Crystal, Lisa Kudrow, and Molly Shannon Paul Vitti is part of the mafia yet he has an anxiety attack and seeks out professional help in comes Dr. Ben Sobel who specializes in analyzing people's troubles and usually solving them with Vitti though it's a special case because it's against his judgment and considering how many mob ties he has Sobel is about to get married and Vitti isn't making things easy laying his issues on the table to be heard it also doesnt help that Sobel is recruited by the feds to gain intel on Vitti's operations with the possibility of getting caught although he may be his best chance at conquering some past demons and insecurities this is actually a funny mixture of gangster-crime and buddy comedy DiNiro and Crystal are enjoyable peas in a pod, mostly this is DiNiro reliving his Goodfella/Godfather days even a gangster has emotional and personal issues to work out it's all good fun with some shootouts and laughs mixed in Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/06/24 Full Review Leaburn O Easy light hearted, not laugh out loud but not too wet. The Sopranos setup given a tidy comedic twist with two good performances from De Niro and Crystal. Watched on DVD which I found for £1. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/24 Full Review Adrian B Raises some furious laughs, falls into many cliches, but De Niro and Chrystal as well as good supporting acts, pull the film above average entertainment. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/13/23 Full Review Linguist383 N i loved the whole cast. Rob De Niro is a godfather of the industry. and all of the task were great. i love the mob movies and i think that they have a broad audience. and this movie is no exception, highly recommended. very clever and unique comedy from the whole crew and cast. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/24/23 Full Review Matthew D Harold Ramis spoofs The Godfather and Goodfellas, while resembling The Sopranos. Director Harold Ramis' crime comedy Analyze This (1999) is quite funny on its own merits. It really does feel remarkably like The Sopranos' premise. He makes Billy Crystal's blunt and sarcastic shrink give verbal therapy to Robert De Niro's raging mobster. It's just like The Sopranos, funnily enough, with a mob boss needing therapy, even though that would get them killed immediately in real life. Ramis brings his iconic whimsical and irreverent humor for a lark. Ramis brings a moody mob style as director. Cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh has sharp medium and close-up shots that look quite similar to how The Sopranos is shot, but obviously not quite the same caliber. Editors Christopher Tellefsen and Criag Herring's cuts lets the scenes play out neatly without getting in the way of these outrageous Italian stereotypes that are fun to watch. As James Gandolfini says as Tony Soprano, "Analyze This, that's a f'ing comedy!" Writers Harold Ramis, Peter Tolan, and Kenneth Lonergan have a laugh about emotions in toxic masculinity obsessed males in the mob. It's like they're making fun of The Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino, or Once Upon a Time in America with a lighthearted sense of humor. Casting directors Ellen Chenoweth and Laura Rosenthal happened to cast half of the cast of The Sopranos. Robert De Niro is hilarious as the tough mafioso boss Paul Vitti. His sobbing is terrible, but his imposing delivery is fascinating and fun to watch. I love Robert De Niro trying to play Vitti totally straight and fearsome. De Niro knows exactly how to play Vitti with a threatening persona, while also feeling insecure and sensitive because of his panic attacks. Billy Crystal is funny as the nervous, frustrated, and sarcastic shrink Dr. Ben Sobel. He is funniest when he's intimidated or scared of De Niro. He feels intelligent, yet goofy enough to play incredulous. Lisa Kudrow is hysterical and adorable as Sobel's lovely fiancée Laura MacNamara. Her being upset at Crystal treating De Niro is a riot. Her facial expressions are a scream. Chazz Palminter's furious gangster Primo Sidone is fierce. Joseph Rigano's Manetta is pretty fun, but Joe Viterelli is super funny as the portly mobster Jelly. Molly Shannon is amusing as the complaining patient Caroline. Aasif Mandvi was on The Sopranos doing the exact same thing as Dr. Shulman here. Lorraine Bracco's sister Elizabeth Bracco actually cameos as Marie Vitti. Production designer Wynn Thomas recreates Italian statues and fountains to mob hideouts. Art direction from Jefferson Sage pulls off brightly lit daylight shots to shadowy nighttime mob hits. Set decorator Leslie E. Rollins puts therapy couches and pillows everywhere besides the shadier mafia spots. Composer Howard Shore has a vibrant style with huge sweeping orchestral music for Analyze This. Costume designer Aude Bronson-Howard puts fancy suits on Robert De Niro and ordinary clothes on everyone to make the mobsters stand out. Analyze This is a pleasant 103 minutes. In short, Analyze This is not The Sopranos, but I was constantly laughing at Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal's confrontational therapy talks. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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