We’re No Angels (1989)
Picture:
B- Sound: B Extras: D Film: C
With a
combination like writer David Mamet, director Neil Jordan, and co-stars Robert
De Niro and Sean Penn, a remake of the 1955 Michael Curtiz film We’re No Angels seemed like a sure
thing. Done as an event picture, the
film did not fare well in the holiday box-office of 1989. Why?
Because it just does not seem to know what it wants to do or even what
it is doing.
It has
been many years since last seeing the film and what seemed like glossy star
power then is less so now. Whether it is
a harbinger of things to come, De Niro has found himself doing too many more
commercial films beneath his talent (far worse than this), Penn has allowed his
image to become too politicized in the last few years, though both have still done more serious
work as well. Here, they escape a prison
and in order to stay out, become priests.
Their
facial expressions throughout are not sufficient enough to make them or this
film funny. While the original film
sported Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, Peter Ustinov, Joan Bennett, Basil Rathbone
and Leo G. Carroll. That is a top rate
cast. Here, this film tries to match it
with Hoyt Axton, Bruno Kirby, Ray McAnally, James Russo, Wallace Shawn, John C.
Reilly, and Demi Moore as “the girl”.
That’s not bad, if not as good as the original, so even the supporting
cast was not a big problem.
It feels
more like one of Mamet’s odd independent films, which also does not fit, so in
summary, this is one of the most misstep-filled remakes ever made. It is not that it is a horrible
disaster. In that department, it could
never compete against The Avengers, Lost in Space, Psycho or Planet of the Apes,
it just never becomes involving on any level.
It is like watching a slow-motion train wreck or a film made of
outtakes.
As for Jordan, his commercial films never seem
to click, even when they are hits, as Interview
with the Vampire (1994). He is
better, as are all involved (save Demi Moore), with the more mature and serious
filmmaking. In Jordan’s case, just compare to Michael Collins. The film even tries to have a serious ending,
which further demonstrates all the mixed directions it went in. Even producer Art Linson is top rate, but
some projects are better off left unmade and both the poor critical and poor
commercial response the film got bares this out.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image comes from the original, real Panavision
images from cinematographer Philippe Rousselot, but the transfer looks like it
is the same analog aka (composite digital) video master used for the old 12”
LaserDisc release. The lack of fine
detail and color range is the result.
Even the original film looked better, shot in the larger-frame
VistaVision format. As for the sound,
two Dolby Digital mixes are provided.
One is a new and slightly better 5.1 AC-3 mix, while the 2.0 mix is
similar to the Dolby A-type theatrical sound with Pro Logic-type
surrounds. There are absolutely no
extras, not even a trailer.
The other
odd thing is how everyone quickly rebounded after the film. De Niro got on a role with Goodfellas, Awakenings, Guilty By
Suspicion and even Backdraft. Penn did one of the best films he ever made
in Phil Joanou’s State of Grace, then quit acting for a few years, no doubt bored by this
film on some level. Even Demi Moore
found a temporary lapse of success in the megahit Ghost the following year before lapsing back into worse
filmmaking. The supporting cast and
others behind the camera also fared better.
This version of We’re No Angels
will always seem like one of the oddest anomalies and that is really the only
reason to see it.
- Nicholas Sheffo
