John McNaughton, the director of "Mad Dog and Glory", has been associated with other, more violent, pictures. In this film he shows a restraint no one would have predicted.

The story centers around Wayne, a shy detective in the Chicago Police, who is instrumental for saving the life of a mafioso, Frank Milo. To show his gratitude, Frank sends one of his body guards to invite Wayne to the stand club he owns. A comic mafioso? Well, Frank's humor is not for everyone, including Wayne, who seems ill at ease. It's obvious Wayne doesn't want to be thanked for his good deed.

To make matters worse, the following day he receives a visit from the young woman who almost burned him at the club with hot coffee. Glory, it turns out, owes Frank Milo big time. She is paying for her brother's debt and Frank makes her go do nice to Wayne. At the start, it's clear Wayne is a man that has been out of practice, not being with a woman in quite some time. Glory, a beautiful woman, makes Wayne get back on track as he begins falling in love.

Frank Milo has other thing in mind. His generosity has limits, and he comes to collect Glory. He realizes how much Wayne has fallen for the young woman so he names a figure for taking possession of Glory, but Wayne doesn't have the money. They end up in a fight, but peace is restored with a forgiving Frank.

Robert DeNiro makes a strange appearance underplaying Wayne's role. He looks different, not as tall as he normally looks. Bill Murray who plays Frank Milo, gives another of his effortless performances. Uma Thurman is Glory, the beautiful woman that catches Wayne's heart. Others in the cast include, among others, David Caruso and Kathy Baker.

"Mad Dog and Glory" is a different kind of gangster movie directed with sure hand by John McNaughton.

I remember seeing "Groundhog Day" in the theater, and outside in the hall seeing an poster for "Mad Dog and Glory". I noticed that it also starred Bill Murray, whom I had just seen in "Groundhog Day". I only now got around to seeing it. The mafia stuff is pretty routine, but the performances of Robert DeNiro, Uma Thurman and Bill Murray bolster it ever step of the way. Not that I would expect otherwise. I recommend it.

Who would've guessed that the guy who said "Somebody blows their nose and now you want to keep it?" would not only star in this, but also in "Cradle Will Rock", "Lost in Translation", "Get Low" and every Wes Anderson movie from 1998 onward? Bill Murray is nothing if not versatile.

First time I watched this film I was so perplexed by it that I had to watch it again, and on the second viewing I loved it. What had initially confused me about the film was the packaging that suggested a typical Hollywood romantic comedy. That's not what it is at all. What it IS, is a fascinating character driven drama with some very funny moments. It also features some of the best work of the three leads respective careers.

This is one of De Niro's best performances ever and definitely his most underrated. He has too often slipped into the thug for hire role (The Untouchables, Cape Fear, The Fan) but here he creates an extraordinarily well-rounded character that you can completely understand. He says more about Wayne with his facial expressions, the way he holds himself, and his pattern of speech then any of the dialogue in the movie.

Thurman matches him all the way. She perfectly captures Glory. There's really not much more you can say about her performance than that, it is faultless. She never reveals Glory's true intentions AT ALL during the film, make your own mind up. Does she really want to be with Wayne or is she just using him to get away from Frank Milo. Even right at the end, there's a hint that she is still just 'doing Wayne a favour'.

Bill Murray is the big surprise. He effectively balances the menace and humour of Milo. You feel his frustration in the life he leads , by the way he looks at his henchmen, the way he tries to befriend Wayne. It is a strong yet subtle performance and Murray proves he is far more than just a funny man.

David Caruso and Mike Starr are also excellent in their respective supporting roles.

Scenes to watch out for are a touching "bad sex" scene. How often do we see this, usually sex in the movies is either terrific for those involved or played for laughs but Mad Dog and Glory dares to be realistic. Also watch for Wayne singing along to the dukebox and the scene when Wayne refuses to give back Glory to Milo.

The film is always intellingent and never sinks to gimmicky resolutions. It's slow and low-key which may turn some people off. But if you like character driven movies then you'll love this. This film seems to get better every time I watch it. It's truly one of the hidden gems of 1993.

9/10