This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Arriving at the scene of a violent double-murder, timid police detective Robert De Niro (as Wayne Dobie) goes to buy some Twinkies at the local convenience store. The shooter happens to be robbing the place, has killed a third victim, and is threatening to shoot again. Showing rare courage and compassion, Mr. De Niro talks the killer into sparing the life of wise-cracking Bill Murray (as Frank Milo), who is also in the store. It turns out that Mr. Murray is not only an aspiring stand-up comic, but also a mobster...Taking advice from his therapist, Murray gratefully sends De Niro a "thank you present." She's played by arousing Uma Thurman (as Glory). De Niro is offered her services for one week, but decides he wants to keep Ms. Thurman longer. Even before Thurman takes off her clothes, she looks worth the effort. But, mobsters being very particular, Murray wants Thurman returned after the week is over..."Mad Dog and Glory" is keenly directed by John McNaughton. De Niro's partner David Caruso (as Mike) and Murray's henchman Mike Starr (as Harold) are perfect in complimenting their excellent co-stars. What doesn't work is a bloody opening that turns out to be only remotely connected to the characters; perhaps, in an earlier draft, the young hoods more clearly had ties to Murray's criminal activities. Thurman's character is also too vague, and the ending could have been less routine. But it's still worth viewing.****** Mad Dog and Glory (3/5/93) John McNaughton ~ Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, Bill Murray, David Caruso

"My wife thinks Cooking and F**king are places in China." – Bill Murray"Mad Dog and Glory" finds actor Robert De Niro plays a lonely police photographer. Introverted and alienated, he spends his days photographing corpses, the poor guy having long abandoned the hope of romantic connection.One night De Niro saves the life of a mafia boss, played by the wonderfully cast Bill Murray. To show his gratitude, Murray loans De Niro a young woman for one week. A couple dates, a little sex, some female companionship...surely a week with the girl will square off all debts. But no, De Niro falls in love with the girl and insists that Murray allow her to live with him permanently.Of course, Murray won't allow this. He's a tough gangster! A macho man! He owns this woman! She's a symbol of his masculinity, of his power! How dare De Niro presume himself to be worthy of possessing such a precious object?!The film then becomes a pretty slick feminist tract, director John McNaughton deliberate in his portrayal of both Murray and De Niro as snivelling wimps. Murray – a comedic actor who is possibly the last person one thinks of when casting an Italian gangster – goes to therapy, is sensitive, talks to his psychologist about his problems and spends more time doing stand up comedy for his mafia buddies, than taking care of mob business. He's an emasculated man, symbolic of a kind of decaying patriarchy that clings desperately to out dated codes of masculinity.Meanwhile, De Niro – a tough guy actor renowned for his gangster roles - plays a shy photographer who relies on his buddies to fight for him, avoids confrontation, is awkward around women and is happiest when taking photographs. In other words, the gangster is a big softie who uses macho codes in order to hide his sensitivity and feign power, whilst the police photographer is a big softie who relies on the power and macho codes of the gangster to overcome his sensitivity and acquire the token woman. The film ends with De Niro and Murray (both effeminate losers) literally having an old-fashioned fistfight, the winner of which will take possession of the girl. But when the fight is over, both men learn to back off and let her make her own decisions. Murray gives the girl away, no longer wishing to control her, and De Niro likewise sets her free. Of course she nevertheless chooses to live with De Niro, swayed by the sight of him battling bravely for her love. The film's message: patriarchal codes have consequences, and women like guys who fight for their rights, rather than those who fight to oppress them. They want both the sensitive artist (photographer/stand up comic) and the tough brute, which I guess means that women are downright greedy.Beyond these musings, director John McNaughton has fun highlighting the conflicts and contradictions of macho posturing, but the whole idea of a lonely guy rescuing and falling in love with a hooker with a "heart of gold" is such a male fantasy that it subverts the whole thing (think Tarantino's "True Romance", or the countless childish stories in which heroes rescue big-breasted damsels in distress). It's like promoting female empowerment so that women can stay home and give you good sex. 7.9/10 – Regardless of how muddled its meterosexual message is, Bill Murray's deadpan performance makes this film special. Dinero would try his hand at comedy throughout his career, but aside from De Palma's "Hi, Mom!" he's always looked uncomfortable. By the late 90's he'd simply equate comedy with pulling silly faces.Worth one viewing.

This is quite simply one of the most unique, uplifting, and relatable films I have ever or will ever see.It is the story of Wayne, the Mad Dog (Robert DeNiro), who is an unfulfilled and lonely police officer. He is a timid but talented man who spends his free time yearning for love, but simultaneously unsure of who and where he can find it. Abrupt changes occur in his life upon inadvertently saving the life of a ruthless gangster, Milo (Bill Murray). The reward from Milo is Glory (Uma Thurman), to stay with Wayne for one week. Wayne and Glory fall in love and when the time comes to return Glory to the gangster, a classic struggle ensues.There are so many layers to the movie, and it is showcased by both strong dialogue, including Wayne's partner, (David Caruso), very high quality acting from all characters involved, and a moving story with the theme of love - believable, poignant, and relatable. Relatable in the sense that the main character Wayne shares traits that normal everyday people can actually relate to, which is a testament to the acting by Robert DeNiro, who often plays a dominant and at times unbelievably intelligent "tough guy". Here, Wayne is so mild-mannered that his friends and colleagues at the station refer to him as Mad Dog, which is an ironic name until he really does become his true self... MAD DOG, empowered by Glory.And then the same can be said of Bill Murray, who is very believable as a ruthless gangster where he is typically known as a goofball and comedian. He proved his dramatic range as a powerful, demoralizing, and overbearing protagonist to DeNiro, which is completely opposite of what one would expect, but it just works so well here that it's indescribable.Add Uma Thurman (Glory) into the mix, and it's easy to understand that a man can only be pushed so far... There is one thing in this world truly worth fighting for, and as a last resort whenever possible.I'd recommend this movie to anyone who's ever been lonely or unsure of the future and what they do with their lives. 8.5 out of 10.

***SPOILERS*** Off-beat love story about a Chicago Police photographer getting involved with a mobsters woman who's life he just saved. Wayne "Mad Dog" Dobie, Robert De Niro, is on the scene of a double-murder when he decides to go to a nearby bodega to get a bite to eat. It's there that he notices that the counter boy, Derek Annuniation, is really a stick-up man with the bodega owner shot dead and a customer on the floor with a gun to his head.Wayne the "Mad Dog" talking the hoodlum into just walking away, since there's dozens of cops swarming all around the neighborhood, takes takes his advice and scoots out of the place. Later at the local bar where Wayne is having a few drinks with his fellow police photographer Mike, David Caruso, he's approached by this big soft-spoken hood Harold, Mike Starr. Harold asks Wayne to go to the Comic-Cazie club, free of charge and even have a drink on the house,to see his boss who says he owes Wayne a favor.Wayne not at first interested to go to the Comic-Cazie nightclub changes his mind and finds to his surprise that the star attraction there is stand-up comedian Frank Milo, Bill Murray, the person who's life he saved at the bodega! Not only that but that Frank is also the owner of the club and a big-time Chicago hoodlum who specializes in lone sharking. Frank is so appreciative of Wayne's cool-handedness that kept him from getting his brains blown out that he sends him this, the best word I can find to describe her, geisha girl who he calls Glory,Uma Thurman,to live at his apartment and fulfill his wildest fantasies for a week as a gift of his gratitude.Glory just happened to be a bartender at the Comic-Cazie the night Wayne went there to see the show and accidentally burned him by spilling a pitcher of hot coffee on his hand which wasn't exactly the best way the meet his future "salve-girl". As Glory opens up about her involvement with Frank whom she's indebted to in order to save her brother, who owes Frank some $70,000.00, from ending up in the bottom of Lake Michigan Wayne starts to slowly fall in love with her. Wayne gets so hooked on Glory where he refuses to return her back to Frank after her weeks stay with him and even goes so far to try buy her back from him. Wayne also became very disturbed after he got to shack up with Glory when the robber/murderer of the bodega was later found shot and killed and dumped in a garbage can. Which had all the earmarks of a mob hit engineered by non-other then his new friend and benefactor Frank Milo.Making up his mind not to return Glory back to Frank, and a life of slavery, leads to Wayne being marked for either a beating or even getting whacked by the Milo Mob. This brings the very best out of Wayne turning the meek and introverted "Mad Dog" into a fearless and unflinching tiger. Who not only takes on Frank Milo and his gang but inspires his fellow police friends, who he in the end Wayne really didn't need, to come to his aid.The movie just grows on you even though you have trouble at first accepting it's premise "The Cop and the Salve Girl". The top-notch acting by all involved, especially Robert De Niro, makes you easily overlook all of the films "Mad Dog and Glory" faults and inconsistencies and just sit back and enjoy it.