Analyze This
1999 · Directed by Harold Ramis
Original language: English
- comedy
- crime
The story
Countless wiseguy films are spoofed in this film that centers on the neuroses and angst of a powerful Mafia racketeer who suffers from panic attacks. When Paul Vitti needs help dealing with his role in the "family," unlucky shrink Dr. Ben Sobel is given just days to resolve Vitti's emotional crisis and turn him into a happy, well-adjusted gangster.
What it’s like
Bright, ordinary Manhattan daylight spills across the cramped offices, restaurant booths and glossy wedding halls of this comedy, shot in a warm, unshowy style that lets its New York textures do much of the work: brick, traffic, crowded sidewalks. The vibe is brisk and affectionate, a sitcom-smart farce with a gangster's swagger laid over a therapist's anxious politeness. Scenes tend to play out in medium two-shots and reaction close-ups, with Robert De Niro's thick-necked stillness set against Billy Crystal's nervous patter, and the rhythm is quick, verbal and full of set-piece bits, which makes it easy company for a lazy weekend afternoon or a comfort rewatch. Emotionally it stays light: a volatile tough guy slowly learning to say what he feels, a jittery doctor discovering a spine. Violence is present but cartoonish and brief, with a few sudden shootings and a bit of scuffling played for laughs rather than dread; there is no real gore, and sexual content is limited to innuendo. Suited to people who want a funny, low-stakes crime comedy with warmth and a familiar, comfortable pace.
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