Review of Married to the Mob (1988) by Allan C — 06 Dec 2013

This is a film that I kind of ruined for myself by watching it too many time when I worked as a video store clerk. I had the film too well memorized for the jokes to seem fresh and even had the action scenes memorized.

However, watching the film for the first time in about 16 years, Michelle Pfeiffer was even better than I remember, playing a mob wife trying to get out of the life after per mobster husband, Alec Baldwin in an early role, is killed.

Dean Stockwell was also terrific as the mob boss with the hots for Pfeiffer and and was still great to watch. The story also involved the FBI trying to take down Stockwell and the FBI thinks tailing Pfeiffer is the key getting him.

There's also Stockwell's jealous wife, the terrific Mercedes Ruehl, to add another great element of comedy. It's a set up to rival a classic screwball comedy, but Pfeiffer brings a level of likability and humanity to a role that could have easily been played for broad silly comedy (as many of the supporting were played) and consequentially makes Angela Demarco a well developed fully rounded out character.

The same could also be said for Matthew Modine as the FBI agent caught between trying to get Tony and also falling for Pfeiffer. Demme brings a very unique and nontraditional tone to the comedy, much as he did with his previous film, "Something Wild.

" He also provided the film with one of my favorite 80s soundtracks, featuring Debbie Harry, New Order, Ziggy Marley, Brian Eno, Chris Isaak, David Byrne and many others. It all adds up to a terrific comedy that is one of my favorites of the 1980s.