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We're No Angels 1955

I am not comparing movies, but like so many the original is
better. It would be nice to have the 1955 version in letter box released in DVD also. It is a wonderful movie and Humphrey
Bogart's last. Thanks

Funny Funny!

I ordered this DVD because my fiance told me he saw it once and it was a really funny movie. I got it at a great price on here, so I ordered it for him as a surprise. He was right! It is a riot!

We're Barely A Movie

I love the 1955 version of WE'RE NO ANGELS, so I bought the 1989 version on VHS, which might be better titled, WE'RE NO ANGELS GOES TO HELL. This second version is an exceedingly dark film. There is not one laugh in this film. Instead there is crushing poverty and a lack of redemption. Take DeNiro's unhumorous mawkish clown faces, Penn's tongue-in-cheek, insincere innocence, and add Demi Moore's heart-rending desperation, and you end up with two hours it would be more pleasant to spend in the Dentist's chair. This could be Mamet's only comedy, I SURE HOPE IT IS. David, go write some more con artist movies.

Sean Penn's best work

I thought it was a GREAT great movie. Funny, sad, thoughtful, but especially, I thought Sean Penn was dynamite! He manages to completely lose himself in the character and become this humble, bumbling, simple 'priest' while maintaining his reality as Robert DeNiro's fellow escapee.

A Watchable Film

This is simply another film that I had seen years ago, a film that I wanted to add to my DVD collection that began not all that long ago.

"Ain't that funny?" "Yeah, it's hilarious."

Sadly, said lines are a quote from the film, and not anything anyone has actually ever said about this comedy.With a regular run of comedic roles in the 90s it seemed as if De Niro was taking a dramatic shift away from his regular persona. However, it's easy to overlook the fact that six of his first ten pictures were comedies, often so-so farces like The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight.After reaching his zenith as an actor and performing his most famous roles (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Deer Hunter et al) it was the dark comedies of The King of Comedy and Brazil that led him back into the genre. The decent but unremarkable Midnight Run followed, then this.We're No Angels has a title reminiscent of some Cagneyesque piece (indeed, it was based on a play and previously made in 1955 with Bogart) yet also sounds like the kind of vehicle you could imagine Laurel and Hardy starring in. Fittingly, it's set in the 1930s and Penn's simple-minded expressions, especially in the final scene, are almost Laurelesque. But even Laurel and Hardy couldn't string an amusing feature-length picture out of two escaped convicts (as the less than great Pardon Us would attest) so De Niro and Penn are on a hiding to nothing.We're No Angels is well acted, well directed and pretty well written. But it's a comedy with no laughs. A dramady, if you will. Yet after years of reading about this as De Niro's nadir, then... it's not that bad. Sure, he does mug a little too often in the vague approximation of a "comic" performance, but never enough to really grate. It's charming at times, engaging at others, and all the cast work well. Just don't expect to crack your face.

Fun Cast

We're No Angels (1989) *** (out of 4) Remake of the 1955 film has Robert DeNiro and Sean Penn playing escaped convicts who hide out as priests in a small town where they try to sneak across the border into Canada. Most of the reviews you read for this film will probably be negative but I've always enjoyed what the movie has to offer even though there's no way of denying that it could have and should have been a lot better than it turned out. I think the biggest problem with the film is the direction of Jordan who just wasn't right for the material. This is suppose to be a comedy yet you wouldn't know it because Jordan handles the material so dark that it's rather hard to get many laughs. We've get some rather strong tones on religion and even some strong violence, which just doesn't sit too well in a comedy. Even the entire atmosphere of the film is rather dark, which is a staple of Jordan but again, that wasn't really needed in this film. What does work are the performances by DeNiro and Penn who are excellent together. Playing dumb is never an easy thing but both men pull this off remarkably well, which is very important since most of the laughs come from them not understanding anything to do with religion yet they're suppose to be priests. The two men's facial expressions is what works the best because the look on their faces when they're put on the spot are just flawless as is their constant begging and pleading for various things throughout the movie. Demi Moore has a supporting role, which brings in more darkness that really isn't needed but Bruno Kirby and John C. Reilly turn in nice supporting performances with Reilly really standing out as another priest obsessed with Penn. The laughs throughout the film are certainly minor but to me the film still works well thanks to the terrific performances. You really don't expect to see DeNiro and Penn in a movie like this but they both pull it off very well and make it worth viewing.

good. Not great, just good.

This movie was surprisingly good. DeNiro and Penn are, of course, fine actors, but the plot was a bit too 50's for my taste. And, it seems like the director couldn't make up his mind about whether the film was a drama, a comedy, or an action film. But, there were some funny moments, and I was entertained throughout most of the film. That's why it gets the infamous "good, but not great" label.

We need to praise it like we should

Lighten up, film buffs; the 1989 version of We're No Angels may not be a great film, but that's because you're comparing it to other works made by these people, not to mention the 1955 version, which I haven't seen and so don't care about. It's an amazing array of talent: Robert DeNiro, _the_ best actor of his generation; Sean Penn, one of the best of his; Ray MacAnally, one of the finest Irish actors of any generation; Neil Jordan, who went on to direct the greatest Irish movie to date, "The Butcher Boy"; and David Mamet, who, well, writes great plays. Personally I don't rate Mamet as a film-maker, except that he can turn out workmanlike scripts when called upon to do so, and he does so here.

The fact that this is probably the worst film that any of these people have ever been involved in is one of the things that makes it so entertaining. When I saw it first, as a teenage drama student, I was somewhat perplexed by DeNiro's wincing, shrugging performance as the useless con who's forced to masquerade as a priest, but looking at it now I laugh my ears off. His timing is actually very good, and while DeNiro has never been brilliant at comedy (Rupert Pupkin is the exception that proves the rule - Pupkin is so desperate to be funny that he's actually painful to watch) you can, if you watch this movie enough times, end up rooting for him. He's so obviously telling himself "Keep it light, Bob, this is meant to be a comedy" that he gets a sympathy laugh, from me at any rate.

Sean Penn is actually very good, although I can't help wondering what this utter innocent could have done to have wound up in prison in the first place. His sermon improvised from a Colt advertising flyer is a beautiful piece of acting. Everybody likes to dump on Demi Moore because she got delusions of grandeur and started taking herself seriously, but here she has moments of real power and pathos, which work the more because it's based on a lightness that she hasn't really allowed herself for a long time since.

I mean, yeah, it's a preposterous movie. But I still laugh aloud at it, if for the wrong reasons, and I'd rather watch it than probably anything by the Farrelly Brothers, if only because it's so...unguarded. The Farrellys always know what they're doing; here it's as though everybody made a bad decision, and that makes them endearingly vulnerable for ninety minutes. "Go with God", indeed.

Sure they are no angels

I watched this movie dubbed on TV in Turkey some two years ago and was shocked to see De Niro and Penn in this rubbish. Firstly, this film is toooo artificial. The popular filmists or rather the lovers of popular cinema would love this film because there is an unusual event and unusual circumstances here which are highly unnatural.Two guys escaping a prison and willing to form a new life because they think they suffered enough. After all, they are no angels, are they?Then they become priests by chance. Ok, this is a movie, and this thing about becoming a priest may be accepted. But what's the significance if there is absolutely nothing to laugh at? Is this a tragedy? No, absolutely not. They have tried to make a feel-good movie but ended up in putting three hotshots in the crew and using a "phonebook as a script" as Edward Norton would quote if he were in this movie. Come to your senses. This movie is pure crap, made for people who like crap, to make money out of crap. But it's natural and acceptable that people like Penn and De Niro sometimes need bull**it. 4 out of ten at most.

FATHER BROWN......THIS MOVIE GROWS ON YOU!

This is a very funny movie that seems to get better the more you watch it. DeNero and Penn are great as two escaped convicts posing as priest to get accross the border into Canada. Try it you'll like it! Very funny with an excellent cast.

redundancy costs double

I ordered the movie "we're no angels". When I could find no way to continue to buy it, I cancelled the transaction.....I thought. Your system saved my first order. I ended up with two copies. It made a nice Christmas present ,but I wish your system was better.

Touching

I loved this movie. Its totally funny. The ending gave me goosebumps and portrays a thought provoking message of the "no matter what everlasting" love of God. Sean Penn especially was hilarious as was John C. Reilly's character and the moments these two share together. Overall a heartwarming and touching movie with funny bits thrown in. Not for someone looking to debate faith with logic in mind.

A permanent smile anyway

Although this is a below average DeNiro performance I enjoyed
the movie. DeNiro is a jewel even if he stucks a little in some wooden stereotype comedy gestures. Still it's a very good 6/10 - I smiled most of the time.

the big movie now, is "The Passion of Christ"

this is the big movie now; but this movie; maybe one needs to be Roman Catholic to totally get it and in that way; some might brace themselves for some sacrilege but it really is not so; it is a very spiritual movie; Penn and Deniro both put out top ranking performances; I watched it on USA network quite a few times before I knew the title of this movie and that some years prior, Humprhey Bogart made a movie with the same title but that the plots are not exactly a like. We see, some redemptions in this movie; Hoyt Axton writer of a song that had some swearing and that is the song "The Pusher" plays his role as Monsignor (or what ever precisely he was in the movie), absolutely devoutly, jovial (like an Irishman which he may well be) and perfectly; I believe, the order of Monks of which they are, are like Benedictines; the nostalgia of the movie is great, the humor, where Penn sees the sign reading some quotation from Galatians or similar; in saving their necks and getting a ride from an elderly lady, after they break out of prison.

Well, is that saying a lot? Didn't follow it?

Well; Sean Penn's role finds redemption in his role, iut is very inspirational; Hoyt Axton seems to find redemption in the role; the deaf girl daughter of Demi Moore, is certainly saved and redeemed; Demi as well; really, it seems that only Robt. Deniro's role, lacks the redemption and he seems to continue his scalawag ways;

Comedy, how grand on a scale, when, through miraculous "God works in strange ways" events, Demi Moore's daughter loses her status of deaf mute and the first thing she can say, is "Convicts" she recognizes Penn and Deniro as being the escaped convicts, but Deniro turns it around to that she said "Converts" and saves themselves there.

Deniro is worldly, Penn experiences a spiritual awakening; that ending could bring tears to the eyes of some, at least me; A+ plus plus is this movie for me.

Excellent, in the Manner of '21 Grams'

Everyone knows what a black comedy is. Butis there is such a thing as a white comedy? I think so, and I think this is one of them. In the same way that '21 Grams' works a fairly serious portrayal of a crisis of faith into a tense melodramatic thriller, 'We're No Angels' actually masks some serious thoughtfulness about the importance of faith and hope into a decently funny comedy of mistaken identity. It also illustrates concretely the truth of C.S. Lewis's famous dictum (from the Screwtape Letters)that all men become what they are pretending to be.The movie is very plotty and all the loose points neatly wrapped up. What a lot of the critics have missed is that all of the jokes are thematic, and tied to the central topics of the movie.I am not at all conventionally religious, but I do appreciate faith, and I liked this movie quite a bit.

Big smelly pile of pants

Oh dear, what is it about De Niro that makes me sit up til 2am watching a film on TV that I know is c**p? Anything with him in grabs my attention, all brains go out the window and I'll watch two hours of drivel even if it's blatant rubbish after only 15 mins.Talented actors, yes. Attractive scenery, well filmed, yes. Original story and well-crafted script, NOOOOOOOOOO. Oh well I only have myself to blame......If you like the sort of film where the ending is crystal clear to you after the opening scene, go for it. If you love De Niro but know deep down he'll never make a decent comedy, watch it anyway you sucker. But anything is better than The Mistress (or whatever that script-writer-can't-fund-his-film-unless-he-employs-the-girlfriends-of-the-m oneymen piece of poo was called)

A movie doesn't have to be great to be enjoyable

I have always found this movie to be entertaining. This may not be a legendary movie, but it is a fun to watch. It's first problem is that "We're no Angles" is a the name of a great movie from 1955, so it easy to expect more from this movie then it could ever deleaver. De Niro and Penn talents make up for a simple script and turn it into a fun story. Demi Moore is dispointing as she provides little to the part of the prostute, yet Hoyt Axton does very well as the head of the monastery.

Both men play excaped cons forced to make they way to Canada, but trapped at the boarder. Un-educated and desperate, De Niro and Penn bluff their way into the local monatery. An annual ceremony provide our two cons a way across the boarder, but the sheriff is closing in.

"We're No Angles" is a good example of how great actors can save a movie. De Niro and Penn both do that very well. If you enjoy light comedy, De Niro or Penn; this movie is well worth your time. It is nice to just enjoy a movie for the talents of its stars with out car chases, blood bathes. and all special effects.

Interesting

I always look for the beginning choices of an actor,Demi Moore stays constant in her choice of roles(outsider),Sean Penn with his usual dichotomy of hard guy/softie and De Niro himself but with a twist of humour.I enjoyed the epoch and the guilt and penitance idea of choices we make in life.I just liked the film and I could see a few times Demi Moore trying to keep a straight face which made me laugh.

I liked it

Got this DVD as a birthday gift and watched it.It is like "Heaven Help Us" in the sense that the nuances of the religion really are key to the comedic effect best portrayed by a look or a line that is subtle.Sure it could be better but depending on Budget and schedules not every movie can be Titanic, Longest Day, Gone with the wind,etc.If you like Deniro, or Penn...you'll like it.If you are from a Catholic or parochial upbringing you will like it.I'm not Siskel or Ebert; but I liked it.Close to the Canadien border and being set as other than the height of summer I'm surprised there we're ANY daylight scenes. There is a little girl in the Movie who sort of steals the show,A Demi Moore that supports this plot as it builds and Sean Penn makes you believe the ending.If on TV or available for rental; watch this movie for a relaxed comedy.