Analyze This

Although this comedy has been getting more praise than it deserves, it is nevertheless a solid, funny comedy. Robert De Niro is a Mafioso who has lost his nerve. He has become prone to panic attacks, and he weeps at the slightest provocation. He takes on a shrink (Billy Crystal) to help him work out his problems. This setup is a great comic idea, and the jokes that make use of it are as good as they promise. But the film itself is just a little too long, and the climax is completely unoriginal. The best thing about the film is De Niro, who has to show a more exaggerated range than he’s used to. Thankfully, he does it (as The Onion said), without devolving into self-parody, which would have made the film fall apart.