Cast: Robert DeNiro, Uma Thurman, Bill Murray, David Caruso, Mike Starr, Kathy Baker
Director: John McNaughton
Producers: Martin Scorsese and Barbara DeFina
Screenplay: Richard Price
Cinematography: Robby Müller
Music: Elmer Bernstein
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
Wayne (Robert DeNiro), or "Mad Dog", as he's called, is a cop who has never fired his gun. After he saves mob boss Frank (Bill Murray) from death at the hands of a common thief by using talk to diffuse the situation, Frank feels compelled to reward his rescuer. So he gives Wayne his girlfriend, Glory (Uma Thurman), as payment. She is Wayne's for one week -- but one week only. At first, Glory is an unwanted presence, but, as the days go by, Wayne realizes that he wants her more than anything else.
Mad Dog and Glory takes a lot of chances, from its choice of director to the roles played by two of its three leads. While the casting against type works strictly on the basis of the strengths of the actors, Martin Scorsese's hand-picking of John McNaughton (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer) may not have been the best decision. McNaughton was brought on board the project to give it a "different feel". That is certainly achieved, but not necessarily to the movie's advantage. The tone is uneven, with the dark moments lacking a tanglible sense of danger and the uplifting scenes missing a much-needed lightheartedness.
At times, the writing is also suspect. Too often, the film stays at arm's length from the audience, keeping emotional involvement to a minimum. While attempts are made to create three- dimensional characters, these are largely unsuccessful. The love affair doesn't take up enough screen time to be vivid, and the relationship between Wayne and Frank never gels.
Not since his abysmal performance in Razor's Edge has Bill Murray tried to play it straight. Here, he's generally competent, but rarely memorable. Robert DeNiro is effective in an unusually restrained role. With the actor's energy internalized, Wayne comes across as the most edgy and believable of the three main characters. Uma Thurman is capable of better work than the scope of her character allows. She does what she can with the role, but her work isn't exceptional.
The "gem in the rough" is Mike Starr's Harold. Perhaps the only character that clicks all the time, Harold is exceptionally funny -- a sensitive big guy who says the most unusual things -- but never portrayed in such an overblown manner that he's relegated to just comic relief. In fact, chracter actor Starr (whose previous credits include Goodfellas and The Bodyguard) steals most of the scenes that he's in.
Taken as a whole, Mad Dog and Glory is a disappointingly mixed bag. What's on the screen is passably diverting, but I often felt as if I was seeing only half the movie. Mad Dog and Glory has been edited heavily, so part of the fault could lie there, but the final result doesn't really satisfy. With this intriguing premise and cast, the film should have offered more complete entertainment.
© 1993 James Berardinelli