We're No Angels (1989)

feel-good movie

Robert DeNiro and Sean Penn are 1920s-era convicts who are dragged along when a vicious killer escapes the electric chair. They end up in a town near the Canadian border, and are mistaken for a pair of priests expected at the local monastery.

So they masquerade as priests while looking for an opportunity to cross the border into Canada. An opportunity presents itself in the form of a procession/pilgrimage to the church's sister church across the border. Each priest participating has to bring along someone who needs help, so they decide on the deaf daughter of local laundress and prostitute, played by Demi Moore.

This version (there's a 1955 version, but there's no similarity between the movies at all) is billed as a comedy, but it's much more a drama, or maybe an allegory, though I don't have the time or inclination to delve into what it's an allegory for. There are humorous moments, to be sure, but it's not a laugh-aloud comedy at all.

It's about life-changing events, about miracles. We never do learn why DeNiro and Penn's characters were in prison to begin with, but we don't need to know. They begin as buddies, but the masquerade affects them in different ways. Penn's character thrives in the monastic life, despite, or maybe because of his ignorance. DeNiro and Moore's characters are world-weary and cynical, but they too are affected by the miraculous.

The movie leaves it up to the viewers to decide if the miracles are divine or human, but there's just enough mystery to allow you to believe if you want to.

We're No Angels leaves me with the same sort of feeling that Christmas movies like Miracle on 34th Street do--a kind of uplifted feeling, and a renewed faith in the human spirit. Or maybe I'm just feeling sappy. November 22, 2008

Don't waste your time

I bought this because I thought my family would enjoy seeing a newer version of "We're No Angels" after enjoying the 1955 Bogart version so much. (Great film!) After previewing the Robert De Niro version last night, I threw it in the trash. Demi Moore's partial nudity and language makes it inappropriate for family viewing. The comedy was not done well enough to make me laugh even once. Sean Penn's character was the only one that made me watch the film to the end; I wanted to see how he turned out. August 5, 2008

redundancy costs double

I ordered the movie "we're no angels". When I could find no way to continue to buy it, I cancelled the transaction.....I thought. Your system saved my first order. I ended up with two copies. It made a nice Christmas present ,but I wish your system was better. December 28, 2007

FATHER BROWN......THIS MOVIE GROWS ON YOU!

This is a very funny movie that seems to get better the more you watch it. DeNero and Penn are great as two escaped convicts posing as priest to get accross the border into Canada. Try it you'll like it! Very funny with an excellent cast. June 2, 2007

A Watchable Film

This is simply another film that I had seen years ago, a film that I wanted to add to my DVD collection that began not all that long ago. March 18, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...