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Analyze This (1999)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 2/25

AnThis
2/25: If it wasn't for Robert De Niro's legacy of playing gangsters, Analyze This wouldn't have worked.

It's a smart hilarious picture with a small amount of references to The Godfather trilogy and Goodfellas. A lot of people may be confused whether Joe Viterelli, who plays De Niro's bodyguard Jelly, was in any of those pictures, but the answer is no. They're probably thinking of Richard Castellano (Clemenza) who passed away in 1988. Oddly, the other bodyguard is named Richard C. Castellano (no relation), and he also died in 2015.

I always knew that Robert De Niro was a funny guy as evidenced in Midnight Run. He has plenty of witty lines. One of the best scenes that's misinterpreted in a Mafia way is when the therapist told Paul Vitti to hit a pillow and he took his advice by shooting at it. Then, there's the discussion about the first thing and the second thing that the therapist will take advantage of to drive Primo Sidone crazy during the squaretable meeting which is a reference to The Godfather Part III. Another is when Vitti said, "I was Fredo? I don't think so."

Billy Crystal is fine. He's about 20% funny but is effective enough as a straight man. The rest of the cast is fair, but Joe Viterelli is good and very believable as one of these Mafia guys. Chazz Palminteri had done work for Robert De Niro by appearing in his first directorial picture A Bronx Tale.

All in all, Billy Crystal's character said it the best to describe Analyze This: "What is my goal here...to make you a happy, well-adjusted gangster?"