Somewhere deep in a box, a movie ticket stub from 1999 is slowly fading away. If you look closely, you will see it was for the hit comedy Mickey Blue Eyes.
Who is Mickey Blue Eyes, you may ask? Well, he’s hotshot auctioneer Michael Felgate, played by Hugh Grant. Known for playing the lead in many romantic comedies, so you know what to expect from him in this one. A clumsy English guy with a great accent who stumbles through his love life. This film is a classic Grant performance from start to finish.
What I think sets Mickey Blue apart from all his other roles is his character’s situations. He’s a brilliant auctioneer with a bright future and a beautiful fiancee in Gina, played by Jeanne Triplehorn. The best and worse part of the relationship is Gina’s dad is in the mafia.
First, it was a small favour, then it was multiple favours, a bribe, and a murder. When it came time to discard the body, Mickey Blue Eyes was born. Quite honestly, it is tough to plug an English actor in a New York City mafia, but Grant should be the only believable choice if it is a comedy. My favourite part has to be when he’s driving in the car with his future father, Frank (James Caan), practicing how to say “fuggedaboutit” in a tone that makes him seem like a badass. The whole sequence is comedy gold.
Not to give away spoilers, but because the mafia lives for an “eye for an eye,” someone has to die at Michael and Gina’s wedding. Despite how good the event gets planned, everything goes astray and leads to one memorable wedding party.
I recently introduced Mickey Blue Eyes to my wife, who enjoyed it but not as much as I have over the years. I have never owned this movie, although I wouldn’t be opposed to picking it up from the bargain bin if I noticed it. I’ve been a fan of Grant’s work in many movies, with this one a top-five pick. 7/10
Ten Stars or Less 