Mob has depth, glitter of worn dime
By Michael Moeglin
Staff Reporter
Despite the deft and clever hand of
director Jonathan Demme (“Stop
Making Sense”, “Swimming to
Cambodia”), the movie “Married to
the Mob” resembles a comedy almost
like a zebra resembles a horse.
The plot centers around the plight
of mob wife Angela DeMarco, played
with peerless aplomb by the fetching
Michelle Pfeiffer (“Ladyhawke ,
“Witches of Eastwick”).
moyip
“-'^REVIEW I
Angela, it seems, is no longer
content with her whirlwind life of
coiffing and canasta, and when her
husband, Frank “The Cucumber”
DeMarco, is iced (as they say in show
biz), she abruptly becomes an un
happy mob widow eagerly pursued by
her late husband’s murderer and boss,
Tony “The Tiger” Russo.
Toavoid such a harrowing fate, the
tenacious Mrs. DeMarco packs up the
household and moves to Manhattan.
All the while, her actions arc followed
with keen interest by the iniquitous
Tony, who is in turn followed with
keen interest by his nearly psycho
pathic wife, Connie.
To add to the fun and games, there
are the inevitable gross of G-men. At
the vanguard of such a venerable
crime- fighting machine is special
agent Mike Downey, played with
amiable inelegance by Matthew
Modinc (“Full Metal Jacket").
Downey also develops a keen
interest in Angela, indeed a sincere
affection, and so becomes inevitably
entangled in the already convoluted
story.
The humor in “Mob” lies in its
subtle, and sometimes not so subtle,
blackness and its decidedly morbid
sensibility.
Oh sure, there are any number of
gaffes, guffaws, and chortles, and
some of the jokes are just plain gratui
tous.
For example: “He wasn’t called
The Cucumber’ for nothin;” and the
headboard in a sleazy hotel room
emblazoned with “Vcni, Vcni, Vcni.”
There arc even a few puns, the highest
form of low comedy. But don’t go to
this movie hoping for a laugh riot.
■■■■■■■
sere are even a
few puns... but
don’t go hoping for
alauahriot.’
“Mob” docs, like all films, possess
a number of moments that arc real
gems. Many of “Mob’s” special
moments lie in watching the caval
cade of cameo appearances by favor
ite celebs of stage, screen, and air
wayes.
Note, for instance, David
Johansen (alias Buster Poindexter),
doing a bang-up job as the priest
presiding at Frank’s funeral, as well
as AI “Grandpa Munster” Lewis as
Uncle Joe, one of Tony’s cronies.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, we sec
rising young vocalist Chris Isaac in
what may be his film debut, and very
possibly his celluloid swan song as
well, as a homicidal clown.
The sets and costumes are just
dreamy. A nightmare, maybe, but a
dream nonetheless. They’re hilarious
in their camp chccsincss and kitschy
pretension.
The soundtrack is a disappoint
ment. Following in the formula foot
steps of winners like “She’s Having a
Baby” and “Bright Lights, Big City,”
“Mob” tries on the movic-about-town
image with an eclectic buffet of tunes
which serve mostly as end credit
fodder.
Despite the contributions of such
lofty virtuosos as David Byrne, Rose
mary Clooney, Debbie Harry, Ziggy
Marlcy, Brian Eno, and, of course, the
obligatory New Order piece, the
soundtrack falls Hat, evidently slip
ping on the heavy buildup of commer
cial condensation.
Not that the individual songs arc
lousy or anything. David Byrne’s
original material is delightful as al
ways, and New Order is likable, but
the seemingly pointless use and
choice of the songs is contemptible.
The fact that the songs add nothing to
the film is an injustice to both eye and
ear.
There is that discouraging feeling
that most of the really funny stuff is
lying on a cutting room floor some
where. As Dorothy Parker once said,
this film has “all the depth and glitter
of a worn dime.”
Unless you are desperately bored,
or a devout fan of Matthew or Mich
elle, “Married to the Mob” is most
likely an offer you can refuse.
“Married to the Mob” is showing
at the Cinema Twin Theater.
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Joslyn group
announces its
88-89 schedule
Joslyn After Hours, an art appre
ciation group for business and profes
sional people, has announced its
1988-89 season.
The new After Hours program will
be held at the Joslyn Art Museum,
2200 Dodge St., Omaha.
The season begins with a special
tour behind die scenes of the museum
on Sept. 27.
“Coyote: A Myth in the Making”
will be the focus of a tour Oct. 25. The
exhibition has the drawings and prints
of Harry Fonseca.
The Dec. 7 lour will highlight the
curators’ favorite works of art.
On Feb. 15, a lecture and tour of
the Franklin Street Gallery in
Bellevue is planned.
Members will visit Creighton
University on March 29 to see the
Creighton University Faculty Art
Show.
The Final tour of the year will be on
June 1 The group will see the exhibi
tion Treasures of the Abby Aldrich
Rockefeller Folk An Center.”
Most programs include a short
talk, a guided lour, and refreshments.
After Hours memberships are $15 for
the six programs, and are only avail
able to members of the Joslyn mu
seum.
The tours run from 5:30 to 7:30
P m. Guests of After Hours members
jttay attend events for $5 admission
fee.
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