It's 1935. Ned (Robert De Niro) and Jim (Sean Penn) are friendly cellmates in Black Ridge State Penitentiary near the Canadian border. Jim is beaten by the sadistic warden for talking. Ruthless killer Bobby escapes from his execution and forces them to help him escape the prison. On the run, the guys are mistaken for priests by Mrs. Blair. They are desperate to cross the border but are forced to stay at the monastery with the search party nearby led by a deputy (Bruno Kirby). They pretend to be Father Brown and Father Riley. Single mom Molly (Demi Moore) is willing to sleep with men for $5.
This seems to be a screwball comedy struggling with some serious material and a darker tone. Neil Jordan is a good director and he should be able to make this work. De Niro is trying to be bumbling. The jokes rarely succeed. There are aspects which suppress the light humor. The setting has more in common with Popeye. People die right from the beginning. Demi Moore is too young for De Niro. As a comedy, it doesn't have enough laughs. It would help if their crimes are proclaim to be something non-violent. They need to be somebody whom we want to escape. It's interesting.
This seems to be a screwball comedy struggling with some serious material and a darker tone. Neil Jordan is a good director and he should be able to make this work. De Niro is trying to be bumbling. The jokes rarely succeed. There are aspects which suppress the light humor. The setting has more in common with Popeye. People die right from the beginning. Demi Moore is too young for De Niro. As a comedy, it doesn't have enough laughs. It would help if their crimes are proclaim to be something non-violent. They need to be somebody whom we want to escape. It's interesting.