Gun Shy

Plot synopsis:
Charlie Mayeaux (Liam Neeson) is an undercover DEA agent suffering from anxiety and gastrointestinal problems after a bust gone wrong. During the aforementioned incident, his partner was killed and he found himself served up on a platter of watermelon with a gun shoved in his face just before back-up arrived. Charlie, once known for his ease and almost "magical" talent on the job, is finding it very hard to return to work. His requests to be taken off the case or retired are denied by his bosses, Lonny Ward (Louis Giambalvo) and Dexter Helvenshaw (Mitch Pileggi) as so much time was put into his cover. Charlie works with the dream of one day retiring to Ocean Views, a luxury housing complex with servants and utilities.
During his flight to New York, where his job will resume, another passenger strikes up a conversation with him. It turns out that this man, Dr. Jeff Bleckner (Michael Mantell), is a psychiatrist and upon arriving to New York, Charlie enlists his services. Dr. Bleckner listens to his troubles and prescribes him anti-anxiety medication to help him deal with stress. He also encourages him to join a group therapy session. At therapy, Charlie meets and befriends a group of stressed out men from the business world.
To deal with his gastrointestinal issues, Charlie goes to the doctor where he meets the free-spirited and beautiful Judy Tipp (Sandra Bullock), the self-proclaimed "Enema Queen" who introduces him to alternative therapies to his problems as well as some romantic interest.
Back on the job, Charlie is knee-deep in negotiations for high-stakes money laundering and stock manipulation. He was brought into the group by the passionate Fidel Vaillar (José Zúñiga) and his close bodyguard, Estuvio Clavo (Michael DeLorenzo). Vaillar is a son of an important Colombian drug cartel and fears being viewed as a stereotype. They are dealing with an intense man with an unpredictable temper named Fulvio Nesstra (Oliver Platt) who represents the Italian mob in New York. Fulvio is disfavored son-in-law of high-ranking Italian mobster, Carmine Minetti (Frank Vincent). Jason Cane (Andrew Lauer), a young Wall street-type with a plan, but poor taste, completes the group. Each thinks he understands the other players, but there is more to these characters than meets the eye.

Tags: psychedelic, murder, flashback

Review:
Although there are several parts of the film which exercise Neeson's great gifts for interaction, most of the movie scenes are hampered with too many issues and little cohesion and this makes for awkward moments.
He gets involved more deeply into trying to do a decent job and in the process, he falls in love with the woman who understands what has to be done to relieve his symptoms.Erik Blakeney has written and directed a film that should have been seen by a wider audience, yet, this movie came and went without fanfare.
This is clearly not a Sandra Bullock vehicle at all!Liam Neeson and Oliver Platt are about the best thing going for the movie.
The same goes for Oliver Platt who plays a bad guy interested in domestic activities such as cleaning a messy kitchen, or even thinking about a life in Italy growing tomatoes.The minor roles are equally good.
The group therapy sessions involving Charlie and other law enforcing people are fun to watch.Erik Blakeney shows he can do good work if only he could have the right studio people behind him..
This is an honest, funny view of what happens when Liam Neeson's character, a former DEA golden-boy, starts getting job-related panic attacks...
Add Oliver Platt as a high-strung gangster with marital problems, Jose Zuniga as a secretly-homosexual drug lord, and group therapy, and the result is GUNSHY, a smart, wicked, sweet, fast, and funny look at the modern gangster flick.
(like the gay thing-no one in this film is what they seem - get it?) maybe this is too complicated of a movie for everyone to enjoy.
With great performances by Liam Neason as well as some of his supports, writer / director Eric Blakeney has managed to realise and create one of the most refreshing films to come out of the US for a long time.
GUN SHY is a peculiar movie, one that purports to have a significant storyline but one that splinters ideas all over the place, leaving the viewer wondering what all the fuss is about.'Charlie' Mayeaux (Liam Neeson) is a bummed out DEA agent fresh from a bungled case yet given an important assignment to break a Columbian drug cartel represented by Fidel (José Zúñiga) and his boyfriend Estuvio (Michael DeLorenzo).
People are maimed (gunshot castration), killed, made to look foolish, all to the end of supposedly belly laughs on the part of the audience.True, Neeson shows a flair for comedy and Platt manages to convey a breakthrough role for him, but the rest is a jumbled mess.
With the cast list containing both Liam Neeson and Sandra Bullock we though we could give it a try.We nearly turned this one off after the first 30 minutes.
I was personally worried this would be another Bullock movie like Hangmen, a TRULY horrific flick, but that's another story.At the beginning the plot was all over the place.
While Gun Shy definitely does have some glaring weaknesses, it does have at least three things going for it in my mind:  the performances of Liam Neeson and Oliver Platt, and some clever editing.I found that Neeson struck a terrific balance between presenting the steely, fearless undercover persona and the shell-shocked cop underneath.
Platt's "Life could be sweet" speech is far more convincing than DeNiro's comical bawling.Finally, the editor did a terrific job, playing up Charlie's crumbling facade of fearlessness, constructing Fulvio's introduction as simultaneously menacing and absurd, and using an odd kind of show-and-tell technique in the bar scene towards the end.One little point I enjoyed was Charlie's discussion of the undercover lifestyle, which reminded me of how the movie Rounders offered an insider's angle on the psychology and tricks involved in gambling.
You had in this film some of Hollywood's most dramatic, comedic, and talented people doing their best work in this little film called Gun Shy. Liam Neeson represented his character so well, that I nearly forgot most of the time that he was Neeson from Schindler's List, but instead this neurotic agent with problems around every bend.
From Charlie's hatred and fear of getting killed by his job, to Fulvio's passion for a better life, to the Colombian's wanting to escape in love together, to even all of Charlie's friends in his group therapy that hate their lives as well, there is just this overwhelming sense of dislike for the world when this film begins.
So many times in Hollywood we see the happy family man who gets caught up in the mob mess, but never have we seen so many disillusioned people gathered in one film and still make it a comedy.
It didn't work either way.It was incongruous to see actors like Liam Neeson and Sandra Bullock in a film with such a low budget look and such poor direction.
Oliver Platt was the closest thing to providing saving grace to this film as he was consistently funny.Eric Blakeney and Hollywood Pictures should be tried and convicted for actor and audience abuse with this film.
GUN SHY (2000) ** Liam Neeson, Oliver Platt, Sandra Bullock, Jose Zuniga, Michael DeLorenzo, Andy Lauer, Richard Schiff, Paul Ben-Victor, Mitch Pileggi, Gregg Daniel, Ben Weber, Mary McCormack, Michael Mantell.Liam Neeson may not be known for his comic flair in spite of his wide dramatic range in serious films but here he displays a low underwhelming charm that has a distinct world-weary sarcasm that helps make his nearly burnt out federal undercover agent Charlie a somewhat put-upon likable good guy.Charlie is on the verge of some kind of nervous breakdown ever since a botched assignment nearly got him killed and an aversion to watermelon (he was forced in a compromising position a la a roasted pig during the melee), that unless he can pull himself together the next job may send him over the edge.That's why while en route to his debriefing for a small-time made man in New York he makes small talk on the plane with a man who turns out to be a therapist and before he knows it is on the couch and later in group therapy with a quartet of stressed businessmen who seem to all share a common thread: fear of repercussions and termination.Charlie is so bent out of shape in his recovery from his life-threatening incident and the upcoming ploy to oust the violent tempered Fulvio Nesstra (Platt, one of our best comic actors playing it to the hilt a la Paul Sorvino) that the therapist recommend him to a gastrointestinal clinic where in arguably the oddest meet-cute in film history is ministered by the sunny Judy Tipp (wholesomely sexy Bullock, who also produced the comedy) and wind up falling in love with her post-enema treatment (!) What makes the film its own is its blend of the out-of-sort comic elements of Charlie's high stressed work and the group therapy's oddball patients , especially Richard Schiff (best know as the human wishbone in 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' and currently on tv's dramedy 'The West Wing') who is so beyond frazzled at his workplace he has to resort to some bizarre tactics to avoid blurting out a Tourette's Syndromelike spurt of vitriol (at least until the film needs it as a closure).Maybe because of the unusual hybrid of comedy a la 'Analyze This' with the broad character of Platt's Fulvio and the somewhat sardonic tone of Neeson's Charlie does it mesh often on the mark.
Yet the film suffers from trying to balance too much on its scales to begin with but comes across as a game effort with a fine ensemble and clever screenplay by new filmmaker Eric Blakeney.Give it an A for effort in attempting to make an original spin on a chestnut like the screwball comedy and fish out-of-water genre..
This character contrast with some tight dialogue provides for a very entertaining movie.Of course Oliver Platt steals every scene he is in..
Each of these aspects developed humorously and nicely (except his relationship with Bullock's character seemed to begin abruptly), and were tied together for the film's climax.All in all, Gun Shy is probably the first good comedy of the year 2000 (which is not the new millenium, that starts in 2001)..
Gone are the days when Liam Neeson participated in some decent films like The Mission (1986)(qv), Schindler's List (1993), Nell (1994), Rob Roy (1995) or even The Haunting (1999): today he is lined up for all the worst possible outcomes, like any other Keanu Reeves and such like: indistinguishable from anybody else queueing up for a number 57 bus in southern London.Such is this apology of a film; I only put it on as the first channel was showing the 111th flick with Sylvester Stallone being a tough guy, and a US-Mexican coproduction with some bloke doing more or less the same with lots of blood and gore thrown in for bad measure.
Neeson, Platt, and Bullock manage to shore up this marginally funny flick and make it worth watching.
Even though passed off as a comedy, I think I got more laughs out of 'Halloween' than I did this, it sets a new record for number of chuckles: 1.Sandra Bullock is third billed, but only has a minute or two of actual screen time, disappointing considering I rented it because of her...
What I mean with that is it was not a gripping film from start to end.(Gives opportunity to people who likes to doze off in movies) Gun Shy tells us the story of an undercover DEA AGENT(Liam Neeson)who is almost killed by gangsters.
Being stressed up he starts therapy and he also meets with a quirky nurse(Sandra Bullock)whom he falls for in another treatment.Meanwhile, his final case brings him into contact with Fulvio Nesstra(Oliver Platt)an insanely violent mobster with a surprisingly tender side.
Enjoyed this film greatly, Liam Neeson,(Charlie), showed his great acting abilities in both comedy and drama through out this film.
Charlie ran into Judy Tipp,(Sandra Bullock), who went along with his crazy ideas and got his mind off his problems by going to bed with her and making love quite often.
Or how to turn a imaginative idea (an anxious cop)into a movie crap...This isn't a comedy (I never laugh at the so-called moments however I think I am an average funny guy), this isn't a thriller, but there is a bit of melodrama (with the Don) and romance (with Sandra Bullock).
But, in all this crap, one thing stay immutable: Mitch Pileggi as a FBI Director.My worst movie of the year, and again starring Sandra Bullock !!!
Liam Neeson stars as a nervous undercover DEA agent that must bring an old world mafia thug, Oliver Platt, and Columbian drug kingpins together in a multi-million dollar sting operation.
This ending made sense (although still comic), and it provided a realistic outcome to the relationship between Liam Neeson and Oliver Platt.Only one complaint-- do we really need to have our movie homosexuals portrayed as lisping wannabe dress designers?
Neeson certainly turns in a good performance as he always has done but the true standout is Oliver Platt.His best role remains Porthos the Pirate just in watchability but with an accent he brings some depth and realism to his role, departing from the comedy nice guy he usually plays and turning into a 100% believable leg breaker, he has an air of confidence but also in his dialogue scenes the vulnerability that fits right in, a gangster you end up rooting for.
The flatulent and nervous Charlie is a comedic turn by Liam Neeson like I've never seen him; Oliver Platt's psychotic Mafia hitman Fulvio (who just wants to grow some great tomatoes) is tremendous - the next-door-neighbor scene had us rolling.
The gay drug lords, Sandra Bullock's Enema Queen, Fulvio's equally psychotic wife, and the men's support group are icing on the cake.You do have to pay some attention to this flick because the humor is character-based and until they develop it's slow.
The plot was fresh - not the tired, worn-out same-old story-line - and Liam Neeson's character is much more human than the Hollywood-cloned macho pistols-pressed-to-right-cheek cops.I also smiled at the inside "X-Files" joke, with Neeson's character smoking "Morley's." I saw that and said there had to be an X-Filer in here - and, within seconds, up popped Mitch Pileggi (Skinner) at the other end of the conference table.This is a film you can sit back and relax to and have a fairly enjoyable time, getting in some laughs.
If you consider a just a Oliver Platt's character the movie pay for itself,he is a odd and a interesting case for psycho analysis,trying raising tomatoes properly,Neeson is another case,he has fear....Bullock don't encrease nothing,neither in sex scenes, but in general way the movie get some funny moments and survive most of all for Platt's performance....and a lot of stupid gangster!!Resume:First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.
The person who said Sandra Bullock only has 2-3 minutes of actual screen time evidently did not watch the whole movie.
There is no character development, all of a sudden Sandra Bullock is in love with Liam Neeson, all of a sudden the two Columbians are Gay, and all of a sudden the therapy group is willing to help this guy.
While the performances of Neeson, Platt and Bullock are credible, the plot of the movie and the final cut lacks any sense of cohesion.
The movie contains every cliche in the book, and can't seem to remember if Oliver Platt plays an Arab or an Italian!The romance of Neeson and Bullock is forced, and the sets where the Mafia leaders, Columbian guys, and police all meet look so fake, it's hard to understand how the director thought his movie might pass for an intelligent film.
My local Blockbuster had the DVD in the "Action" section but, while it has two set-piece shootouts, one near the beginning and one at the end, this is not a film that has much in common with Face/Off or Die Hard.Charlie Mayo (Liam Neeson) is an undercover DEA agent whose bosses are very keen that he should single-handedly close down a Colombian drug cartel.
Most of it's pretty unsubtle but strong performances from Neeson, Bullock and Oliver Platt help.The best things about the film are plot-related.
The Sandra Bullock side plot doesn't go anywhere, we don't know what eased Liam Neeson's problem, and the ending seems too improbable for everything to go as it did.Still, not a disaster due to the characters..
Having waited for this film because it stars three of my favorite Hollywood people, Liam, Sandra, and Oliver, I finally viewed it this evening.
Neeson's fear was genuine, the "group's" response to his situation played out as plausibly as anything it the flick, and Bullock's solution (even though here character goes from zero to hero in no time flat) fits and accentuates the wierdness of the film.
This starts out as an interesting concept, but gets more and more absurd as it progresses - with the ending feeling contrived and unsatisfying.The title and cover art promise a decent amount of action - but you don't even get that.By far the best thing is that Sandra Bullock is superb - funny, a great actress...did I mention stunning?A few nice ideas, but overall unsuccessful as a comedy, or an action film..
The plot is tight, but I will say that the love interest (Sandra Bullock, who he meets when he visits for an enema) could have been completely taken out of the movie and it would not have lost anything.
It must be nice to live in movie world.Now, the whole story between Liam Neeson and Oliver Platt was fun and interesting.
This is just another mob comedy for Gun Shy. It stars Liam Neeson as a DEA agent with problems, not just mental but physical.
That alone is an amazing feat.PS - Liam Neeson is always great, and Oliver Platt...
Waiting in vain.Oliver Platt is the best thing here and he still seems out of place.Liam Neeson is embarrassingly bad.
I rented this one because of Liam Neeson, Sandra Bullock, and Oliver Platt.
But it is at the climax when it gets hilarious.I was a big fan of the Alec Guinness comedies, including his "crime" films, "The Lavender Hill Mob" and "The Ladykillers." The cinematic style is different but the understated humor is similar.Charlie Mayeaux (Liam Neeson) is an undercover agent suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
Sandra Bullock, who I have always wanted to hate but always love every time I watch a film of hers is just "hot" and clever as hell in this.
I love his movie Gun Shy, and its all star cast.The director really has a knack for comedy.
If you liked Gun Shy you'll be sure to love this film.
Everyone is perfect in his or her role, from Liam Neeson as the undercover DEA agent who has lost his nerve, to Sandra Bullock as the love interest.
I really didn't like this movie that much the first time I watched it.
Within minutes of watching this movie, before the credits finished rolling, I could tell it had been written and directed by the same person.The writer had come up with what they obviously thought was a great idea, and no director was going to tell them they were wrong.I'm not sure how they convinced such big names as Liam Neesom and Sandra Bullock to star - maybe it looked better on paper?To begin with, (spoiler alert) having the main character sitting on the floor of the airport toilet interacting with imaginary people isn't a phobia or post traumatic stress syndrome - it's insanity.How is he able to magically distinguish between the phantom and real situations of his world?
Sandra Bullock, of course, is beautiful, confident and funny, and she almost makes the movie work.
And, while Neeson gets along okay, Sandra Bullock as the eccentric gastroenterologist drags the movie down.