January 15, 1996 -- ``Two if by Sea'' is a charming romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Denis Leary as a couple of hapless crooks on the lam with a valuable painting. You won't see many reviews of this movie because there weren't any free, pre-release screenings for critics, so they ignored it in a collective snit.

The two crooks hide out in a house on a small island off the coast of Rhode Island, where they meet up with one of the island's wealthy residents, Stephen Dillane.

The movie has some very funny bits, like the police station that doubles as a video store, and a whole collection of wildly incompetent cops and robbers. Leary, a comedian, co-wrote the screenplay with Mike Armstrong, should be credited not only with some very funny lines, but also for doing a fine job with physical comedy. Leary's Boston accent is also above average (I used to live there).

While none of the characters in the film is smart, they all are funny. Bullock is likeable as usual, but Leary is the real star of this film as the bungling, but good-hearted small-time crook with foot-in-the-mouth disease. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.