'Except for a few small rocks and a shallow ditch, he was exposed up on the ridge'. French existentialism in a mid-western metaphor.

Analyze This is a thoroughly enjoyable film about the problems a gangster faces when he experiences panic attacks and goes to a psychiatrist. Robert De Niro plays the role of Paul Vitti, a powerful New York gangster, about to take over the reins of the Family business. He becomes strained, sleepless and preoccupied. The Family starts to wonder if he is capable of leading them and suggests he sees a shrink. Ben Sobol (Crystal) is divorced, has a son and a fiancee, Laura (Kudrow). Sobol is a decent, loving father, frustrated with work and trying to establish himself away from his own father's shadow. Sobol has a car accident with Vitti's bodyguard (Viterelli) and gives him his business card for insurance purposes. Paul Vitti visits Sobol and recruits him as a private psychiatrist, on call 24 hours a day. Sobol is trying to get married and move on with his life but the other gangster families become aware of Vitti's new counsellor.

De Niro and Crystal are excellent and the comedy is very well constructed. Lisa Kudrow is wonderful as Laura, although it is much the same as her other roles. Sobol's attempted wedding and the meeting of the heads of the Families are climaxes in the film but the humour permeates throughout all the scenes as these two different men help each other face the past. There are some clever Godfather references which only add to the film. Analyze This is well worth the viewing.