They stop in this border town, practically run by the local Catholic church, after they are mistaken for a couple of priests expected to come and give guest lectures.

Ned and Jim soon find out, during the church's precession of the virgin, the congregation will be marching into Canada to their sister church across the border, so they decide to continue their charade as priests until the precession.

The picture is extremely smart, with awesome and inevitable situational comedy, written by David Mamet (Wag the Dog). The film is also a break out for director Neil Jordan (In Dreams, The Crying Game), who is mostly known for his unusal thrillers.

This is the only movie where Robert DeNiro has a comedic performance, of which I bought, probably because he was very much involved with his character's nature. He allows his character Ned to show growth, especially in a scene where he breaks down and starts crying in front of the virgin Mary, begging for help, putting his crusty demeanor aside for a moment of desperation. I loved it.

Penn plays the dullard of the duo as Jim, but also finds a way to show growth in his character, as his time with the clergy gives him the opportunity to find his faith and his place in life.

Demi Moore offers contrast to the story as a local poverty-stricken prostitute named Molly whose little girl is mute. The scene where the little girl finally speaks, exposing the two leads as convicts is absolutely heart warming and HILARIOUS.

If you haven't see "We're No Angels," then you're missing out on something very special in the genre of comedy. This is a benchmark in my mind for Mamet's body of work.