Analyze This Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
New York's most powerful gangster is about to get in touch with his feelings. YOU try telling him his 50 minutes are up.
Ben Sobol, Psychiatrist, has a few problems: His son spies on his patients when they open up their heart, his parents don't want to attend his upcoming wedding and his patients' problems don't challenge him at all. Paul Vitti, Godfather, has a few problems as well: Sudden anxiety attacks in public, a certain disability to kill people and his best part ceasing service when needed. One day, Ben unfortunately crashes into one of Vitti's cars. The exchange of Ben's business card is followed by a business visit of Don Paul Vitti himself, who wants to be free of inner conflict within two weeks, before all the Mafia Dons meet. Now, Ben Sobol feels somewhat challenged, as his wedding is soon, his only patient keeps him busy by regarding Ben's duty as a 24 hour standby and the feds keep forcing him to spy on Paul Vitti. And how do you treat a patient who usually solves problems with a gun?
| Robert De Niro | Paul Vitti |
| Billy Crystal | Dr. Ben Sobel |
| Lisa Kudrow | Laura MacNamara Sobel |
| Bill Macy | Dr. Isaac Sobel |
| Joe Viterelli | Jelly |
| Chazz Palminteri | Primo Sidone |
| Kyle Sabihy | Michael Sobel |
| Molly Shannon | Caroline |
| Max Casella | Nicky Shivers |
| Kresimir Novakovic | '50s Gangster |
| Bart Tangredi | Young Vitti Sr. |
| Michael Straka | Young Dominic Manetta |
| Joseph Rigano | Dominic Manetta |
| Richard C. Castellano | Jimmy Boots |
| Frank Pietrangolare | Tuna |
| Harold Ramis |
6.50 out of 10 (34370 votes)
Visitor Reviews
This is a must-see, light-hearted and ever so funny movie which will lift your spirit up
posted on 17 Jul 2009I don't even know where to start. I don't want to tell you much about this film because I don't want to spoil it for you by giving you account of the funny scenes. Moreover, that would be quite impossible anyway as the film is simply funny all the way through. Sure I have my favourite scenes, one in particular, which make me laugh just thinking about them. Seriously, this is a comedy with a great story and many laughs. As a matter of fact, I really laughed all the way through, from start to finish.I want to recommend you to lighten up and simply relax when you decide to watch it. Let go of any expectations or judgements. Simply watch and let the movie entertain you. It might seem as an obvious thing to do but it is easy to slip into that judgemental and critical feeling however subtle it might be, which will spoil any movie for you not just this one.I highly recommend this movie if you want to lift you spirit up for whatever reason as this movie will do it for you. It is my favourite and I do hope that it will be your favourite too.
Great stars, great plot, too much unnecessary offensive language
posted on 09 Jul 2009If I had watched this movie without my wife, and brother & sister-in-law, I might have enjoyed it more. I was disappointed that with the talented cast that it was necessary to use such a battery of foul language. The comments on the mother just went too far. I am no prude but I was embarrassed by the language.
Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal form the perfect shtick. *** out of ****.
posted on 19 Jun 2009ANALYZE THIS / (1999) *** It has been a long time since I have seen a comic duo form a better shtick than Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal in the mob comedy "Analyze This," a smart, amusing satire from director Harold Ramis ("Multiplicity," "Groundhog Day"). For a movie like this to succeed past a commercial level, chemistry between the main characters must be amiable and spirited. Crystal and DeNiro indeed mold amiable incentive between themselves, therefore quite a few hilarious moments emerge from their perception of the well-written script by Kenneth Lonergan, Peter Tolan, and Ramis himself. "Analyze This" details the lives of two very different individuals. The first person is played by Billy Crystal, a calm, cool, and collected psychiatrist named Ben Sobol, who is divorced with a young teenage son and is engaged to soon wed a resigning TV reporter named Laura MacNamara (Lisa Kudrow). Ben is currently dealing with a emotional patient (Molly Shannon) distressed because her spouse left and filed a restraining order on her. This woman's problems will seem like nothing when Ben obtains his new client. Robert DeNiro plays the second person this movie examines, the most powerful mobster in the city of New York, Paul Vitti. He and his accomplices, including a chubby and clumsy bodyguard named Jelly (Joe Viterelli), are in the process of significant business when Vitti experiences an anxiety attack. On the road to a nervous breakdown, this emotionally vulnerable man comes to Ben after Jelly briefly encounters the therapist during a minor car accident. Ben is very nervous with his new patient, who forces compliments and demands upon him. The first confrontation sequence between Ben and Paul is quite engaging. There is an instant odd couple chemistry among the two characters. The witty sessions Sobol and Vitti consummate are also very imaginative and smart. The scenes also have the intelligence to take Vitti's emotional problems seriously. The setup accurately introduces both the gangsters and the psychiatrist's family. We understand the mob boss's feelings of stress and depression; this picture is not all shallow slapstick comedy, there is a dimensional human touch. The film takes its conflicts seriously, but executes them in a cute humorous style. The audience can also relate to Billy Crystal's character, who is an average Joe with a typical American family in a complicated situation in which he is not entirely sure how to handle.Both external and internal conflicts are interestingly accomplished, well structured, presented, and written. The film does a good job of convincingly bringing the world of mobsters to life with well-cast actors and their rich, stylish accents. Paul Vitti's sexual life needed more exploration; although his adulterous intentions do induce a few laughs, the story could have gone somewhere with his infidelity. Vitti's family is also irresolute. The film almost never portrays them on screen and seldom does Paul himself discuss his children and wife. The Lisa Kudrow character is furthermore underwritten, never thoroughly examined and very shallow. The lack of chemistry amid Kudrow and Crystal leads to the unconvincing relationship Ben occupies. Robert DeNiro is the perfect option for the comic role of Paul Vitti, who is a more difficult character than it may appear. DeNiro triggers a sharp comic edge and gives the right amount of exaggerated sentimentality to Vitti. Lisa Kudrow is fun to watch, producing a dim-minded character whimsically similar to the one in her hit TV sitcom "Friends." Chazz Palminteri and Joe Viterelli contribute different but energetic supporting roles. "Analyze This" is unmistakably the right kind of movie for Billy Crystal. I am unaware of another Hollywood comedian who could have conquered his role with more proficiency and mirth; he is one of the main components that makes "Analyze This" work well. Harold Ramis's comedy obviously borrows ideas from past comparable films like "Grosse Point Blank" and "Mafia," but as this production proves, just because it was done before doesn't mean it cannot be successfully accomplished again with the right casting.
Don't Analyze This Too Close
posted on 28 May 2009If the ultimate test of a great actor is how well he or she does comedy as well as drama, Robert DeNiro may not be as great as Dustin Hoffman or Gene Hackman. Those two do comedy very well and naturally. DeNiro struggles, works defensively, and fails more often than not. Want proof? Well, "Analyze This"!The only film where his presence helped a film comically, in my opinion, was "Midnight Run," a great comedy/thriller in the "Beverly Hills Cop" vein where DeNiro shined as a bounty hunter buddying up with Charles Grodin. In "Showtime" and "Meet The Parents" he comes on too heavy, while he's just lost in "The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle.""Analyze This" uses DeNiro's rep as filmdom's most formidable gangster and turns it on its head in a Billy Crystal head-above-water caper that mixes "What About Bob" with "The Freshman," with middling results.Sometimes the problem is one of tone. The film can't decide whether it wants to be heavy, with scenes of realistic violence and tension, or farcical, like Crystal's scenes with his patients or his appearance at the big meeting near the end. Sometimes, the plot is at fault. There are two cold openings that are equally superfluous, one showing the infamous 1957 meeting of the New York mobs at Appalachin that took place more than 40 years before anything else in the film, then another showing an attempted hit on DeNiro that establishes nothing except he's a gangster, as if that wasn't already in the audience's mind from watching "Mean Streets," "Goodfellas," and all those other movies of his.There are some good comic moments that work in isolation, like what should have been the film's opening, when Crystal's Dr. Sobel listens to patient Molly Shannon whine about her ex until he nearly loses it in a hilarious dream sequence. He still manages to send her away crying despite himself. That scene is funny, as is the first meeting between Dr. Sobel and his goombah wanna-be client. "You don't hear the word 'No' a lot," Sobel asks. "Yeah, only it's more like 'no, no, please, no,' DeNiro's Paul Vitti replies.DeNiro delivers that line well, and some others. But for such a solid gold actor, he's inconsistent. He was funnier as Al Capone in "The Untouchables," where he could be outrageous and roll with it. Here he seems torn between letting it out and pulling it in, like with his crying scenes, which are lame. He doesn't seem to enjoy being in comedies too much, yet he keeps doing them. Why? I've seen his house. He doesn't need the work.There are good ideas, but then there are bits that go nowhere, like Lisa Kudrow's whiny fiancée and that Samoan son with the wisecracks. Bill Macy (not William C. of "Boogie Nights" fame but the husband on TV's "Maude") has a brief bit as Sobel's father, which establishes there is some resentment. Then he goes away, and the tension is left unresolved.The ending is particularly contrived. That a mobster needs a shrink, sure it works, and can go in some interesting directions, as "The Sopranos" later showed. But then having Sobel thrust in the role of representing the family in the big meeting, and scoring points off Vitti's chief rival (Chazz Palminteri, who also plays his character too hard for the lightness of the surrounding material) in front of Gangland, USA, just beggars credibility. So does the swim in the shark tank.The problem keeps coming back to DeNiro. He has one or two great scenes, like his phone call to his rival after an attempted hit ('That was going great until the cut off your balls part' Dr. Sobel interjects.) Then he just grimaces and makes broad gestures for a while. He can't adjust because the tone of the script throws him, but a better comic actor would make adjustments. DeNiro's great at what he does, but it's like asking Pedro Martinez to throw knucklers.One great thing about the movie is the end credits. Forget what's on screen. There's Louis Prima on the soundtrack, playing "Angelina" and "Zooma Zooma" to a rapt audience. Now that's entertainment. What it has to do with the rest of the movie other than the guy was Italian, I don't know, but at least that's one incongruity in "Analyze This" I can enjoy.
Good comedy with lots of action starring Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, and Lisa Kudrow!
posted on 02 May 2009ANALYZE THIS, in my opinion, is a good comedy with lots of action starring Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, and Lisa Kudrow! If you ask me, Paul (Robert De Niro) was absolutely psychotic! This was because he just couldn't seem to leave Ben (Billy Crystal) alone. I mean, what kind of patient would take their therapist's duty as a 24-hour standby? Also, I thought that Laura (Lisa Kudrow) was a very pretty lady... especially in the outfit she was wearing while she was giving her final broadcast. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that all the action of this film really kept me on the edge of my seat. Now, in conclusion, to all Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, or Lisa Kudrow fans that have not seen this good comedy with lots of action, I highly recommend it!
One of the funniest I've seen in a while
posted on 21 Mar 2009Analyze This was one of the funniest movies I have seen in some time. The story is inventive and the teaming of Crystal and De Niro is excellent. Although I am not a big Billy Crystal fan I thought he was wonderful in this movie. Lisa Kudrow does a good job playing a somewhat extension of her tv character. The three characters blend well with the mafia men and Chaz Palmenterri does a great job in the role of the bad guy. Although there are holes in the movie, overall it is enjoyable. It won't win any Oscars, but I would recommend it to anyone.
Billy Crystal & DeNiro? Who would have thunk it!
posted on 17 Mar 2009The combination of certain actors is a given, but DeNiro with Crystal pays off in large laughter that seeing it again is a must to catch the lines you've missed! Great writing. Little for Lisa Kudrow to do and Jelly steals the show. DeNiro's compatriot Jelly is a laugh riot from a character actor (can you imagine him playing anything else!), Joe Viterelli can do mob comedy! All in all it was well worth the night out. Funny movie with nothing terribly serious to say, thank goodness.
cute but not laugh 'til you cry funny
posted on 11 Mar 2009"Analyze This" is a cute film that is good for a few laughs and for a nice turn by Robert De Niro as mob boss Paul Vitti. The main problem I had with the movie was that it seemed short and left many questions unanswered. Another problem was that some parts seemed out of place (especially near the end...Billy Crystal's scene with Chazz Palminteri and the rest of the mobsters is cute but when taken in conjunction with the rest of the film isn't really necessary) and other parts didn't seem to go anywhere. I also thought that Billy Crystal's answer to why Robert De Niro was having problems was a little simplistic. yet I liked this movie despite its faults. Robert De Niro has played so many gangsters and mobsters in film that it's something he can do in his sleep- This is his best comic performance. Billy Crystal is restrained and thus adds support to De Niro. Unlike a lot of Bill Crystal's films recently, this one doesn't rely on cheap sentiment to get a point across. It's cute and has some funny moments but it's not a movie where you die laughing. It's a pleasant film and was worth seeing but if you're expecting a movie that makes you laugh until you cry this is not it.
There isn't much to analyze here.
posted on 25 Feb 2009When tired clichés combine with big egos the result is predictable. De Niro makes an attempt to mock his own roles in more serious movies and become a comedian, which he is not.Billy Crystal is trying to make an attempt to make a transition from a comedian to a serious actor, which he is not. Kudos to Kudrow for making a valiant attempt to energize the movie.The plot is initially interesting but the action gets bugged down by the slow rhythm and very predictable scenes. Analyze This is too boring for a comedy.
Great concept, good comedy
posted on 09 Feb 2009"Analyze This" is a good comedy born from a great concept: The powerful mob boss breaking down emotionally and virtually kidnapping a shrink who has his own problems in life.DeNiro and Crystal demonstrate good chemistry and Joe Viterelli is fabulous as DeNiro's thick-headed sidekick. Lisa Kudrow, however, falls flat in her role as Crystal's fiance.The comedy didn't deliver as much as I expected, but few comedies do. Still, it's worth the price of admission. There are several good laughs to be had here.
Lots of laughs.
posted on 05 Feb 2009Following, as it does, such sensitive-mobster movies as Gross Pointe Blank and The Don's Analyst, Analyze This loses points for originality but makes up for it in laughs. Billy Crystal as the psychiatrist and Robert De Niro as the gangster have a great chemistry. It's fun to watch these veteran actors play off each other, to watch De Niro become a sensitive guy and Crystal try to act tough. Lisa Kudrow is also very good as Crystal's oft-rebuffed, neurotic bride, and look for a great cameo from Saturday Night Live's Molly Shannon.In all, a very funny movie. It suggests, very convincingly, that everyone is a little crazy. Crystal has issues with his father, his fiance has separation anxiety, and even the mafia bosses are suffering from inferiority complexes. The only flaw is that the movie never addresses any one issue for very long -- it fails to explore Crystal's relationship with his father, among other things, and non-crucial scenes get left by the wayside -- but I laughed all the way through it. Perhaps not a must-see, but a definite solid hit for a Friday or Saturday night.
Highlight: JOE VITERELLI steals this movie from DeNiro and Crystal. Lowlight: almost everyone else seems to be sleepwalking, especially the director.
posted on 03 Feb 2009It's hard to believe that the same director, Harold Ramis, who brought us GROUNDHOG DAY and CADDYSHACK could have served up this weakly executed comedy about a "shrink to the mob." The occasional flash of brilliant dialog is overwhelmed by the poor production values (e.g., a boom mike dangling over De Niro's head in one scene) and hammy performances by both Crystal and De Niro. The one bright spot is the wonderful performance of Joe Viterelli as "Jelly," De Niro's faithful sidekick. Viterelli's delivery and demeanor are absolutely perfect. A good word, too, for young Kyle Sabihy, who plays Crystal's son. Without these two supporting actors the movie would have been an unmitigated disaster.While others have commented on how the "shrink to the mob" idea has been done before, I was left with the feeling that this movie was more analagous to those horrible Dean Martin "rat pack" movies of years past. There seems to be an in-joke here somewhere, and I think the joke is on the moviegoer. The first sign of this occured in the opening credits when the movie was described as "a Harold Ramis film." At the time I thought it was satire and portended more humor to come. I was wrong; apparently, the credit was supposed to be taken seriously. The actors, on the other hand, could not possibly be taken seriously. They tossed off their lines as if they couldn't wait for the scene to be over so they could have a good yuk among themselves. I hope De Niro got a lot of money for this role, because it certainly did nothing to enhance his professional reputation. Crystal is now making a career of playing the New York, middle-class Jewish stereotype, a la Woody Allen. Lisa Kudrow, despite the pseudo-WASP name of her character, comes across as just another attractive Jewish American Princess and love interest for Crystal. Growing fat and lazy - at least mentally - is often a fact of life. Harold Ramis needs to look in the mirror and try to find the brilliant Chicagoan of years past. He's got to be in there somewhere .
humorous delight
posted on 28 Jan 2009Since I saw this after I had seen them together in Analyze That, I couldn't resist because they work so well together! What a delight; Billy Crystal, a psychiatrist, tries to help murderer, Robert DeNiro, become more adjusted to life, but ends up being mixed up and analyzed by this client. Ho ho and he he, they are so funny and so mixed up that they end up the best of friends.
8/10
Just Does Not Work.
posted on 23 Dec 2008Psychiatrist Billy Crystal starts treating insecure crime boss Robert DeNiro in this hit-and-miss comedy that never does work near as well as it could have. The routine wears thin pretty fast and we are left we a movie that just never does entertain or interest the audience. Once again DeNiro does all that he can, but for some reason he just does not feel right in a film that goes strictly for laughs. 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Sweet and Smart
posted on 15 Dec 2008This film is delightful. It's also sad and disrespectful, while maintaining a nice level of dark comedy. The dynamic between Crystal and DeNiro is the machinery that makes this work. Crystal is the quasi-neurotic psychiatrist while DeNiro portrays the panic-ridden, anxiety-prone psychotic with severe abandonment issues, and a strong need to maintain the Alpha Dog posture. Thus you have the grist for the mill.Joe Viterelli delivers a fantastic performance as Jelly, DeNiro's right hand man, but even Joe's marvelous performance is upstaged by an emotional DeNiro and the shrink who is trying to help keep him alive. The surreal feeling throws off those male viewers who cannot see the humor in an alpha dog losing his nerve; those viewers will undoubtedly dog DeNiro's choice to take on this role, saying he's gone soft, etc. It took great courage and security in his own masculinity to take on a part like this, and I applaud it, and him for having the nerve to do it.I found myself laughing from start to finish. This is a fine comedy, and I have shared it with many friends.It rates an 8.2/10 from...the Fiend :.
First of all....I loved it.
posted on 21 Nov 2008First of all....I loved it. This is one film that will definitely have you laughing for a long time. The image of the mafia has moved from the Godfather of the 70s to the Sopranos of the 90s. Here you have Robert DeNiro playing a very well-known and visible crime family head who seems to be having a stressful time in his chosen career. DeNiro chooses to seek assistance (probably from seeing so many of those Charter commercials) and tracks down Billy Crystal for help. For the next two hours you watch the client/doctor relationship grow and develop through some very comical scenes. Billy Crystal is outstanding in his role as a psychiatrist and DeNiro is tremendous as a member of the Mafia. If you are having a hard time imagining DeNiro in a comedic role, then this is a must see film, for you won't believe it unless you see it. Bottom line...if more Mafia members would be willing to seek help, then maybe we can have a kinder and gentler crime world.
Good comedy with lots of action starring Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, and Lisa Kudrow!
posted on 19 Nov 2008ANALYZE THIS, in my opinion, is a good comedy with lots of action starring Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal! If you ask me, Paul (Robert De Niro) was absolutely psychotic! This was because he just couldn't seem to leave Ben (Billy Crystal) alone. I mean, what kind of patient would take their therapist's duty as a 24-hour standby? Also, I thought that Laura (Lisa Kudrow) was an absolutely pretty lady -- Especially in the outfit she was wearing while she was giving her final broadcast. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that all the action of this film kept me on the edge of my seat. Now, in conclusion, to all Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, or Lisa Kudrow fans who have not seen this good comedy with lots of action, I recommend it!
so sad to see Bobby D in such a god awful movie
posted on 25 Jul 2009after seeing this poor excuse of a movie I wished I could turn back time so I didn't have to see Bobby D belittle his considerable acting talents on such a horrible movie. I understand that the directors were trying to spoof the traditional mafia characters that have been portrayed in numerous movies but they didn't do a very good job of it. you know what I hated this movie so much I don't think i'm going to waste any more of my time writing about it. Bottom line!!!! it stinks.!!!!!