It's a curious thing, isn't it? How some films arrive with a pedigree that practically screams "prestige," only to settle into the dusty, quieter corners of our collective memory. Seeing Robert De Niro and Sean Penn, two titans of intense screen presence, donning priest collars on the faded cover of a VHS box – that image alone was enough to pique interest back in the day. We're No Angels (1989) promised a certain kind of cinematic alchemy, mixing heavyweight talent with a premise brimming with comedic potential. Yet, revisiting it now feels less like rediscovering a forgotten masterpiece and more like encountering a charming, slightly awkward acquaintance from a bygone era.
Convicts, Collars, and Confusion
The setup, transplanted from a 1955 Humphrey Bogart caper of the same name but significantly reworked by playwright David Mamet, is simple enough: Ned (De Niro) and Jim (Penn) are two small-time convicts who break out of a brutal prison near the US-Canada border during the Great Depression. Their desperate bid for freedom involves disguising themselves as priests, expecting to simply blend in and slip across the border. Instead, they're mistaken for renowned theological scholars expected at a local monastery, a sanctuary dedicated to healing and housing a shrine to a weeping Virgin Mary statue. Suddenly, these rough-edged fugitives are thrust into a world of vespers, confessions, and charitable works, all while trying to keep their pasts hidden and their escape plan alive.
Director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview with the Vampire), known more for his atmospheric dramas and explorations of darker themes, paints the border town and the monastery with a certain Depression-era grit mixed with an almost fable-like quality. There's a tangible sense of place, filmed beautifully in Mission, British Columbia, which convincingly stands in for the desperate, snow-dusted landscape straddling two nations. You can almost feel the chill in the air, the rough wool of the cassocks they steal, the hushed reverence within the monastery walls. Jordan creates a specific mood, one that leans more towards gentle melancholy than outright farce.
An Odd Couple in Clerical Garb
The film really hinges on the dynamic between De Niro and Penn. Fresh off more intense roles – De Niro in Midnight Run and Penn in Casualties of War – their pairing here feels like a conscious shift. De Niro’s Ned is the slightly more world-weary, pragmatic leader, his iconic intensity simmering beneath a surface of forced piety. Penn’s Jim is more impulsive, less suited to the charade, his discomfort often providing the subtler comedic beats. Their friendship, reportedly a factor in their casting, translates into an easy, believable chemistry. You buy them as partners who’ve relied on each other through thick and thin, even when they’re bickering about theological interpretations they clearly don’t understand.
It’s fascinating to watch these actors navigate David Mamet’s dialogue, which, even in a lighter context, retains some of his characteristic clipped rhythms and understated tension. Yet, there’s a sense that the script might have been sharper, perhaps more cynical, on the page. Rumors persisted that Mamet wasn't thrilled with the final product, feeling Jordan softened the edges too much. Does this create an uneven tone? Perhaps. The film sometimes struggles to decide if it's a wry commentary on faith and hypocrisy, a heartwarming tale of redemption, or a slapstick comedy of errors. It tries to be all three, succeeding intermittently.
Faith, Fakery, and Forgotten Fun Facts
What elevates We're No Angels beyond a simple mistaken-identity plot are the moments where the lines blur. Ned and Jim, despite their cynical exteriors, find themselves genuinely affecting the lives of those around them, including Molly (Demi Moore), a single mother working in town, and the various monks and community members who see them as spiritual guides. There’s a gentle exploration of how performing acts of kindness, even under false pretenses, can ripple outwards. Does pretending to be good inadvertently make you… better? The film doesn't offer easy answers, leaving that question lingering.
Pulling this off wasn't without its challenges. The production faced its share of hurdles, including some demanding stunt work involving the icy river near the border – a reminder of the practical filmmaking realities of the era before CGI smoothed over every rough edge. Despite the star power and the high-concept premise, the film didn't quite connect with audiences at the time, earning back only about half of its estimated $20 million budget. Perhaps it was too gentle for audiences expecting a rowdier comedy, or too comedic for those drawn by the dramatic reputations of its leads and director. It occupied a slightly awkward middle ground. The monastery sequences, however, benefit greatly from the presence of seasoned character actors like Hoyt Axton as the kindly Father Levesque and the wonderfully crusty Ray McAnally as the Warden pursuing the escapees.
Final Reflection
Watching We're No Angels today feels like flipping through an old photo album. There's a warmth to it, a sincerity in the performances, particularly from De Niro and Penn, who commit fully to the premise. It possesses a certain old-fashioned charm, a kind of hopeful melancholy that feels distinctly out of step with the brasher comedies that often defined the late 80s. It’s not a perfect film – the pacing occasionally drags, and the tonal shifts can be jarring – but its heart is in the right place. It explores themes of faith, redemption, and the surprising places kindness can bloom, even amidst deception. It’s the kind of movie you might have rented on a whim, drawn by the names, and found yourself unexpectedly touched by its gentle spirit.
Rating: 6/10
Justification: While the star power of De Niro and Penn provides undeniable charisma and their chemistry is solid, the film struggles with tonal consistency, never fully committing to being a sharp Mamet satire or a heartwarming Jordan fable. It lands somewhere in between, making it pleasant but ultimately lacking a strong identity. The supporting cast is good, and the atmosphere is well-realized, but the uneven script and pacing prevent it from reaching the heights suggested by its pedigree. It's a worthwhile curiosity, especially for fans of the actors, but falls short of being a true classic.
VHS Vault Verdict: A fascinating curio featuring two acting giants in an unexpected, gentle comedy. It might not have set the box office alight, but We're No Angels offers a surprisingly thoughtful, if slightly uneven, reflection on faith found in the most unlikely circumstances – a quiet gem worth digging out of the back catalogue.