Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Being Funny XI

If you read my profile, you will see that among my favorite movies are The Godfather series and Goodfellas. I am always interested in dichotomies. These movies represent the best in love and loyalty to family members, immediate and extended, and the worst in acceptable violence and destruction among these same members. So, it would not be a surpise that among my favorite comedies is Analze This with Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal. When I first saw the movie in 1999, I could hardly breathe throughout the entire movie. I was laughing so hard.

Here are the bloopers/takeouts of Analyze This that got me laughing all over again.



It is this kind of rationalization and moralizing that I find interesting. Here is an exchange between Dr. Ben Sobel, the psychiatrist, played by Billy Crystal and mafia boss, Paul Vitti, played by Robert De Niro. De Niro, by the way, is one of my favorite actors.
Dr. Ben Sobel: What happened with your wife last night?
Boss Paul Vitti: I wasn't with my wife, I was with my girlfriend.
Dr. Ben Sobel: Are you having marriage problems?
Boss Paul Vitti: No.
Dr. Ben Sobel: Then why do you have a girlfriend?
Boss Paul Vitti: What, are you gonna start moralizing on me?
Dr. Ben Sobel: No, I'm not, I'm just trying to understand, why do you have a girlfriend?
Boss Paul Vitti: I do things with her I can't do with my wife.
Dr. Ben Sobel: Why can't you do them with your wife?
Boss Paul Vitti: Hey, that's the mouth she kisses my kids goodnight with! What are you, crazy?
Go figure! He doesn't consider his own actions. I suppose he doesn't kiss his kids goodnight.

In this scene Dr. Sobel is encouraging Paul Vitti to change his ways and find "closure" with the other mafia boss, Primo, as it is the stress of getting whacked that's got Vitti all stressed out. He had narrowly escaped a hit. Vitti calls Primo, the mafia boss suspected of calling the hit, with Dr. Sobel nearby encouraging him.
Boss Paul Vitti: Whoever did that thing to you-know-who, that good friend of mine, well they're trying to do that to me now. And I'm having a lot of feelings about that. And I'm trying to get some closure on that.
Primo: What kind of feelings?
Boss Paul Vitti: I'm very angry. I'm feeling very angry about that. I'm enraged. I'm feeling very, very mad about that.
Primo: So why are you telling me?
Boss Paul Vitti: Why am i telling you? Like you don't know nothing about it? You don't know nothing? What?
Primo: I don't know what your talking about.
Boss Paul Vitti: I'm just trying to, tell you about my feelings and that I'm angry, and that anger is a blocked wish. And I'm looking forward to seeing you next week at that thing. Then i can unblock that angered wish and then hopefully, hopefully you make one more move on me you motherfucker ill fucking cut your fucking balls off ill shove them up your fucking ass, ill fucking bury you, ill put ice picks in your eyes, ill chop your fucking eyeballs, ill send them to your fucking family so they can eat them for dessert. You understand me?
Primo: Hey Paul
Boss Paul Vitti: What?
Primo: Fuck you
Boss Paul Vitti: You Motherfucker!
Primo: [to Moony] You get a dictionary and find out what this "closure" is. If that's what hes going to hit us with, i want to know what it is
Boss Paul Vitti: [to Dr. Sobel] How was that?
Dr. Ben Sobel: It was going great until the, cutting off of the balls and shoving it up his, ass. You know what i do when I'm mad? I hit a pillow. Just hit the pillow. See how you feel
Boss Paul Vitti: [pulls out a gun and starts shooting the pillow] There's you fucking pillow.
Dr. Ben Sobel: Feel better?
Boss Paul Vitti: Yeah, I do
Dr. Ben Sobel: Good
I guess even mafia bosses try to reform their ways. I assume as Paul Vitti many are unsuccessful. This mafia boss, though, is likeable. After all, he's trying to change his ways. He obvious doesn't have the heart or stomach for the family business. He cries at the drop of a hat and is often mushy. It's a really good movie. If you haven't seen it, it's really funny. Some may have to get beyond the language. I see it as a reality that some live and love Analyze This!

2 comments:

septembermom said...

I love this movie! Thanks for the laugh. DeNiro and Crystal were perfectly cast for these roles. You're right that you can sense his desire to change as their "therapy" goes on.

Judith Ellis said...

Pleasure, Kelly! It's hilarious! Yeah, some therapy, eh? :-)

While working on the novel yesterday it was on and quite helpful actually. I love dialogue.

The dialogue in this movie is fantastic!