Married to the Mob (1988)

Such a frustrating disappointment

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

this is no great shakes as a comedy or as anything else, there are maybe two or three lines in this whole film that will even make you laugh, and even those are pretty dumb. the whole thing is quite inoffensive, though, and agreeably dopey (in a rather knowing way). Married to the Mob is probably Demme's most sheerly beautiful film, physically - it has an exquisite look to it, capturing the mob milieu with an exquisite tackiness rivalled only by Scorsese's Casino. And Demme really knows how to put together a cast - there's not a deadbeat or a lame, Susan Clark-type actor in the bunch, and while they really have very little to work with here, they make the whole dumb enterprise just that much more likable. And Dean Stockwell is great.

Whatever happened to Matthew Modine and Mercedes Ruehl? They were excellent here.This is a very funny film regarding the underworld. Michelle Pfeiffer is the girl who married a mafia man, played briefly by Alec Baldwin. Baldwin takes a bullet from crime boss, Tony Russo, played with extreme relish by Dean Stockwell. Stockwell merited a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for his wonderful portrayal. Russo kills Frankie (Baldwin) and then comes on to his widow. (Michelle Pfeiffer) She is ethical in that she wanted to lead a better life than living among the mobsters with their vicious wives. As Stockwell's insanely jealous wife, Mercedes Ruehl carries the day here.Matt Modine is the FBI agent who falls for Angie (Pfeiffer) and she soon is coerced by the FBI to work for them in nabbing Russo.This is basically another funny gangster film and it succeeds.

In my attempts to catch up with films I did not see during their original theatrical release, I have reached the point of viewing "Married to the Mob", a film that I have heard about, but have never seen until to-day, some 22 years post-release. Was in no hurry to see it, and did not know what to expect. On the VHS cover it was called "...Godfather on laughing gas"...by one reviewer. Well, it was hardly that intense. The comedy in this film is rather subtle for the most part...because this film is not necessarily populated by comedians. But...I was pleasantly surprised. Michelle Pfeiffer gave a pretty good performance as a vulnerable mob wife who is, very deep inside, a decent caring person. Her husband is whacked by a mob boss, who immediately begins to make moves on Pfeiffer, despite the fact that he is married. His wife is a jealous, insecure basket case who would rather see him dead than see him with another woman. Pfeiffer moves away and tries to start all over...but to not much avail. But she does not know that the mob boss is the target of the FBI and other agencies who want to nail him...and at first they wanted to also nail her, until she unknowingly falls for one of the agents who discovers the truth about her innocence. The film has its moments, and I guess there are some funny moments in this piece of celluloid, but not enough to really qualify it as a "comedy". No side-splitting humor, just funny characters and situations that are not fully taken advantage of. Pfeiffer's portrayal is one of the reasons to watch the film...and the jealous wife of the mob boss has to be seen to be believed. Not a bad flick overall, and I did not think I was going to like it at all. But I did like it...mind you, I said "Like"...not "Love". It is a worthwhile watch...and you don't need to be "Married to the Mob" to have a little fun...thank goodness it has not come to that just yet.

Married To The Mob was one of the first VHS tapes that I had along with Coming To America and Grease. I still have fond memories of this film after all these years. Hell, I still have the VHS of this film in good condition.The story: Undercover cop Mike Downey(Matthew Modine)is sent to spy on Angela De Marco(Michelle Pfeiffer) the wife of the slain mafia member Frank "Cucumber" De Marco(Alec Baldwin). He later falls in love with her after he realizes that she is innocent in all this. Angela not only has to deal with the unwanted advances of mob boss Tony "The Tiger" Russo(Dean Stockwell), she also has to deal with his jealous wife Connie Russo(Mercedes Ruehl).Married To The Mob is funny and still keeps your interest when its not trying to be funny. I like the little jabs it takes at mafia life(the jealous mafia wife, the mob boss that doesn't realize that he is not a chick magnet etc) and you like the characters of Angela De Marco and Mike Downey. It was the last of the funny phase of Johnathan Demme before he got serious and gave you gems like Philadelphia and Silence Of The Lambs(best thriller of all time). If you're in the mood for comedy, Married To The Mob is a keeper. Its better than the rubbish that passes for comedy nowadays(Epic Movie, Date Movie, Meet The Spartans, Disaster Movie etc).