Gun Shy

I personally thought this film was good. 7 out of 10. I thought the acting was very good. But I have to admit the plot was interesting. Unusual. Different. But that is why I liked it. It wasn't like every other gangsta, mob, shoot 'em and kill 'em film I'd seen. There wasn't 60 minutes of blood and gore. Which I am glad about: there is too much in this industry anyway.

So if you want a movie that is a little different. And maybe even a bit unusual, go to your local video store and rent Gun Shy.

GUN SHY (2000) ** Liam Neeson, Oliver Platt, Sandra Bullock, Jose Zuniga, Michael DeLorenzo, Andy Lauer, Richard Schiff, Paul Ben-Victor, Mitch Pileggi, Gregg Daniel, Ben Weber, Mary McCormack, Michael Mantell.

Liam Neeson may not be known for his comic flair in spite of his wide dramatic range in serious films but here he displays a low underwhelming charm that has a distinct world-weary sarcasm that helps make his nearly burnt out federal undercover agent Charlie a somewhat put-upon likable good guy.

Charlie is on the verge of some kind of nervous breakdown ever since a botched assignment nearly got him killed and an aversion to watermelon (he was forced in a compromising position a la a roasted pig during the melee), that unless he can pull himself together the next job may send him over the edge.

That's why while en route to his debriefing for a small-time made man in New York he makes small talk on the plane with a man who turns out to be a therapist and before he knows it is on the couch and later in group therapy with a quartet of stressed businessmen who seem to all share a common thread: fear of repercussions and termination.

Charlie is so bent out of shape in his recovery from his life-threatening incident and the upcoming ploy to oust the violent tempered Fulvio Nesstra (Platt, one of our best comic actors playing it to the hilt a la Paul Sorvino) that the therapist recommend him to a gastrointestinal clinic where in arguably the oddest meet-cute in film history is ministered by the sunny Judy Tipp (wholesomely sexy Bullock, who also produced the comedy) and wind up falling in love with her post-enema treatment (!) What makes the film its own is its blend of the out-of-sort comic elements of Charlie's high stressed work and the group therapy's oddball patients , especially Richard Schiff (best know as the human wishbone in 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' and currently on tv's dramedy 'The West Wing') who is so beyond frazzled at his workplace he has to resort to some bizarre tactics to avoid blurting out a Tourette's Syndromelike spurt of vitriol (at least until the film needs it as a closure).

Maybe because of the unusual hybrid of comedy a la 'Analyze This' with the broad character of Platt's Fulvio and the somewhat sardonic tone of Neeson's Charlie does it mesh often on the mark. Yet the film suffers from trying to balance too much on its scales to begin with but comes across as a game effort with a fine ensemble and clever screenplay by new filmmaker Eric Blakeney.

Give it an A for effort in attempting to make an original spin on a chestnut like the screwball comedy and fish out-of-water genre.

Liam Neeson was once a truck driver for a beer company, whether or not he was any good is a matter of conjecture. Fortunately, for movie audiences around the world, his talent for acting on the big screen has superseded and today he is known as one of the finest thespians in show business. Take this film for instance, it's called " Gun Shy. " In this story, he plays Charles 'Charlie' Mayeaux (pronounced - MAYO) a field operative working for the D.E.A. His job is to take on the big drug cartels and put them out of business. However, a bad experience in his last encounter with the drug lords, got him so shook up, it left him with a confidence problem, which has created a noticeable fear of death. So much so, he has begun seeing a therapist. In the meantime, his job continues and he must go undercover to confront the Columbia drug cartel and the America mafia, which could get him killed. Oliver Platt, is a gangster with anger management issues, José Zúñiga and Michael DeLorenzo play Columbian operatives out for the big score or big hit, whichever comes first. If that were not enough, Charlie must also attend Group therapy with Richard Schiff and other problem oriented patients. Mitch Pileggi, interestingly plays Dexter Helvenshaw a corrupt agent. Although there are several parts of the film which exercise Neeson's great gifts for interaction, most of the movie scenes are hampered with too many issues and little cohesion and this makes for awkward moments. Still, it's a good and interesting film and one which makes for entertainment and isn't that what movie making is all about? ***

GUN SHY is a peculiar movie, one that purports to have a significant storyline but one that splinters ideas all over the place, leaving the viewer wondering what all the fuss is about.

'Charlie' Mayeaux (Liam Neeson) is a bummed out DEA agent fresh from a bungled case yet given an important assignment to break a Columbian drug cartel represented by Fidel (José Zúñiga) and his boyfriend Estuvio (Michael DeLorenzo). Also caught up in this mélange is the Mafia represented, however reluctantly, by Fulvio Nestra (Oliver Platt), a nerdy but vicious bungler whose temper is uncontrollable, partly due to his insipid belittling wife Gloria (Mary McCormack) whose father demands Fulvio's crime life importance. Charlie is a mess, meets a psychologist who introduces him to group therapy (where Charlie idiotically relates all the DEA secrets openly) and to gastroenterology where nurse Judy (Sandra Bullock) administers a barium enema then other more herbal-sided treatments while she and Charlie become bonded. People are maimed (gunshot castration), killed, made to look foolish, all to the end of supposedly belly laughs on the part of the audience.

True, Neeson shows a flair for comedy and Platt manages to convey a breakthrough role for him, but the rest is a jumbled mess. Made in 2000 with the Twin Towers of New York frequently visible during talk against Arabs and the Middle East, it is easy to see why the timing of this 'yet another Mafia vs law' film contributed to its short theater run (how many have even heard of it?). But in the final analysis it probably failed on its own merits - sad for a film filled to the brim with very fine actors. Grady Harp

This is the story of a neurotic anti-drug agent, who has to go on with his job, against his fear and his instincts. Good premises for a situation comedy, good actors - however the overall impression is one of disappointment. Not even the stars in the credits can save the movie from getting deep into incredibility and vulgarity. What a waste for talents like Bullock and Nelson.