We all have secrets.  It may be a cliché thing to say, but that does not make it any less true.  Of course, the one person you cannot hide anything from is God.  This is why we have maxims like “be good for goodness’ sake.”  That applies all year, not just during Christmas.  After all, Faith is not about doing something because there is a magical wish granter in the sky who will bring presents for positive behavior.  Doing good is about helping not just ourselves but others.  That is a loose way of interpreting how the Catholic Church defines love.  More precisely, it is about seeking the good of the other.  In order to be such a person, we need to face the issues that might be preventing us from doing so.  Again, God is the Person to go to with our problems.  In lieu of Him, which is a contradictory phrase, there are therapists that can help.  They are there to assist us in getting to those deep parts of our past.  So far, this sounds like a serious topic, but the movie I am setting up is the comedy Analyze This (1999).

There is little that is funny to Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) about his father, who is seen as a flashback at the beginning of Analyze This.  In the 1950s, a major meeting of the crime families had been called, and it ended with it being raided by the authorities.  Fast forward to the present day, and Paul’s main advisor and friend, Manetta (Joseph Rigano), is talking about the mafia wanting to have another conference like the one four decades ago.  Given how that one went, Paul is not sure this is a good idea.  His doubts are confirmed when as they are walking out of the restaurant they had been in, Manetta is shot to death.  Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Dr. Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal), is meeting with one of his patients.  He is a psychiatrist, who, like Paul, had followed in his father’s footsteps.  Unlike Paul, Dr. Sobel’s dad, Dr. Isaac Sobel (Bill Macy), is still alive.  It is evident to the younger Dr. Sobel’s son, Michael Sobel (Michael Sabihy), that there is some generational, professional rivalry.  Further, when Dr. Sobel and Michael arrive at a party honoring the elder mental health professional, junior is shocked when his parents say they are not coming for his upcoming wedding.  Dr. Sobel is frustrated, but he tries to remain patient the next day while seeing clients.  In the middle of a session, he is interrupted by Jelly (Joe Viterelli), Paul’s bodyguard.  Dr. Sobel recognizes Jelly, the hulking interloper being the man him and Michael had accidentally rear-ended on the way to the party.  Jelly is there to clear the room for Paul to enter.  Earlier, Paul had a panic attack while interrogating the person they found to have murdered Manetta.  When the doctor had suggested that to have been the cause of his temporary debilitation, Paul had reacted violently before getting Jelly to find a psychiatrist.  Still not wanting to admit the truth, Paul tries to play off his visit as needing advice for a friend.  Though Dr. Sobel is scared and put up the meekest of protests, he eventually musters the courage to voice the assumption that it is Paul who is having problems.  Incredibly, the gangster reacts positively, saying that he is a new man before leaving.  With that, Dr. Sobel leaves for Miami, Florida, for his upcoming marriage to local news reporter Laura MacNamara (Lisa Kudrow).  Because he had been intimidated by Paul, Dr. Sobel had revealed where the ceremony is to take place.  Thus, when Paul finds that he cannot sexually perform with his mistress, he heads to Florida and gets Dr. Sobel out of bed.  It is at this time that we learn the identity of who is trying to off Paul: fellow New York mobster Primo Sidone (Chazz Palminteri).  Primo believes Paul to be weak, and wants to take the latter’s position by force.  Thus, Primo sends another hitman to assassinate Paul, this time ending with the would-be killer being thrown to his death from a hotel balcony by Jelly.  It also happens to be in the same establishment as Laura and Paul’s nuptials, and all the guests see the death.  Despite the gravity of the situation, Laura is furious that her day is ruined, but Paul insists that Dr. Sobel come with him so they can discuss what is bothering Paul.  Dr. Sobel feels convinced that it is about Paul’s dad, but the mafioso remains obstinate about not opening that door.  Upon returning to New York, Laura and Dr. Sobel are not pleasantly surprised to find an enormous fountain in their front yard, a gift of appreciation from Paul.  They are also greeted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), who have pointed questions for Dr. Sobel.  The crime families are also becoming suspicious of Paul and his conversations with a therapist.  He is told that he must murder Dr. Sobel before someone else does.  Paul says that he will off anyone who touches Dr. Sobel, the FBI record this conversation and use it to get the psychiatrist to wear a wire.  Once more, the mob suspects something is up, and it is seemingly confirmed when Dr. Sobel calls Paul for a meeting.  Dr. Sobel is, indeed, wearing a listening device, but he removes it when he learns that the restaurant they are in is the same one in which Paul’s father was assassinated.  This knowledge comes in handy when Paul takes Dr. Sobel to a deserted place and puts a gun to the mental health professional’s head.  Instead of dying, Dr. Sobel gets Paul to admit to feeling guilty for not doing anything to stop his dad’s death.  As such, the next day it is take two for the wedding, though this one is also crashed by Jelly.  Though the bodyguard allows them to say their vows, Dr. Sobel is forced to go with Jelly to fill in for Paul at the mafia gathering.  This time, it is Paul seeing his son that makes the difference.  Finally making it to the meeting, Paul requests that he be allowed to retire from organized crime.  Of course, the one person who objects is Primo, who tries to shoot Paul before the latter can get away.  In the chaos, Dr. Sobel trips and ends up taking a bullet for Paul.  Nonetheless, Dr. Sobel is simply proud that Paul is letting go of his former life and agrees to continue treating the mobster.

The one thing you cannot say about Paul in Analyze This is that he is ungrateful.  The final scene of the film is of Laura and Dr. Sobel dancing to a personal concert given them by Tony Bennett (as himself), a present from Paul.  The annoying part of this, and for much of the rest of the film, is that such moments are meant as caricatures of Italian people.  At the same time, Paul can be credited for not only admitting that he has some unresolved issues, but of being able to let go of their underlying causes.  It is our distractions that cause us the most problems.  This is as true for Paul as it is for those of us who follow God.  Anything that keeps us from devoting ourselves to Him risks many things.  For one thing, whatever it is that is intruding on your faith life can become a god or an idol.  Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”  If you place your trust in things other than Jesus, then you are missing the mark.  Not all of these can be sinful, but more often they lead to such transgressions.  This is what is interesting about films about Italian organized crime.  One of the stereotypes often used in cinema is their connection to Catholicism.  There is invariably a scene in a church, and this one is no different.  As a Catholic, I appreciate such moments insomuch as they show off the physical beauty of the Faith.  But all it ever is about is keeping up appearances.  God wants a full relationship with Him, one where He comes first and everything else in your life flows from Him.  Though faith is not a part of the film in any respect (even with the one church scene), a glimmer of this comes when Paul looks at his son and sees that is what is important rather than his criminal enterprise.  It is a kind of redemption that can only be completed by submitting to God.

Further, watching Analyze This is not too bad of a movie to which to submit yourself for less than two hours.  There is some colorful language in it, and a little gay bashing, none of which is ideal.  Otherwise, it is a fair film that probably has not aged well in the past twenty-six years.