In this comedy thriller from director Jonathan Demme, Michelle Pfeiffer donned a curly brunette wig and proved that she was a deft hand at lighthearted fare.
She stars as Angela, the widow of small-time philandering gangster Frank “The Cucumber” De Marco (Alec Baldwin) – who is iced by crime boss Tony “The Tiger” Russo (Dean Stockwell).
Angela decides to move and make a new life for herself and her son, Joey (Anthony Nici) away from the Long Island mafia.
She sells her big house in the burbs and donates all its fancy contents – all hot of course – to Goodwill Industries and takes a rattrap apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
But she doesn’t allow for the attentions of Tony “The Tiger” – a ruthless kingpin who’s always had a thing for the beautiful Angela and now is free to put the moves on the grieving widow – and clean-cut, undercover gung-ho FBI agent Mike Downey (Matthew Modine) – a wacky mix of innocent boy-next-door, Inspector Clouseau and David Letterman – who gets close to Angela in the hopes of getting the goods on Tony.
Now, Angela must choose between helping the FBI or spending the rest of her life being “married to the mob”.
Meanwhile, Tony’s brassy, jealous wife (Mercedes Ruehl) thinks Angela is on the make for Tony and would like to liquidate the romantic competition by having Angela rubbed out.
The cast is superb and Demme keeps both the action and the laughs perfectly tuned.
Angela De Marco
Michelle Pfeiffer Mike Downey
Matthew Modine Tony “The Tiger” Russo
Dean Stockwell Frank “The Cucumber” De Marco
Alec Baldwin Connie Russo
Mercedes Ruehl Franklin, FBI Field Director
Trey Wilson Rose Boyle
Joan Cusack Theresa
Ellen Foley Ed Benitez
Oliver Platt Joey De Marco
Anthony J Nici
Director
Jonathan Demme
Video
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