This isn’t exactly a new idea for a story (Mark Twain’s
The Prince and the Pauper immediately is thought of). However, like a
lot of stories, it depends less on plot than on character, and the characters
in “Trading Places,” released in 1983, are wonderful comic inventions. Eddie
Murphy plays Billy Ray Valentine, the con man who makes his first appearance as
a blind, legless veteran. Dan Aykroyd is Louis Winthorpe III, the stuck-up
commodities broker. In a skillful casting move, elder veterans Ralph Bellamy
and Don Ameche are cast as the Duke brothers, infinitely rich men who make
little wagers involving human lives.
One day a certain tempting wager is thought of. Louis
had Billy arrested for stealing his briefcase. It’s a wrong charge and Billy is
innocent, but Billy is black and had the misfortune to encounter Louis in front
of a snobby club. Ebert said, “To Mortimer Duke (Ameche), a believer that
environment counts for more than heredity, this is a golden opportunity to test
his theory. He bets his brother that if Aykroyd and Murphy were to change
places, the black street kid would soon be just as good as calling the shots in
the commodity markets as the white Ivy Leaguer ever was.”
Because the Dukes are rich, they can make almost
anything happen. They take everything away from Louis – his job, his home, his
butler (Denholm Elliott), his fiancée (Kristin Holby), his limousine, his
self-respect. They give Billy what they took from Louis. The rest of the movie
follows the fortunes of the two protagonists as they hideously adjust to their
new lives, and get involved in a commodities scam the Duke brothers are trying
to pull off.
This is a good comedy. Ebert noted, “It's especially
good because it doesn't stop with sitcom manipulations of its idea, and it
doesn't go only for the obvious points about racial prejudice in America.
Instead, it develops the quirks and peculiarities of its characters, so that
they're funny because of who they are. This takes a whole additional level of
writing on top of the plot-manipulation we usually get in popular comedies, and
it takes good direction, too.”
However, what’s most notable in the movie is the
engaging acting. Ebert credited, “Murphy and Aykroyd are perfect foils for each
other in "Trading Places," because they're both capable of being so
specifically eccentric that we're never just looking at a "black" and
a "white" (that would make the comedy unworkable). They both play
characters with a lot of native intelligence to go along with their prejudices,
peculiarities and personal styles.” It’s fun to watch them thinking.
The supporting cast has also been given detailed
attention, instead of being tasked to stand around as stereotypes. Jamie Lee Curtis
plays a prostitute with a heart of gold and a lot of Treasury Bills. Ameche and
Bellamy have a lot of fun with the Duke brothers, and Denholm Elliott
successfully plays butler to both Aykroyd and Murphy, which is a stretch.
The movie’s invention extends all the way to the
famous scenes, which involve, not the usual crazy chase, but a commodities
scam, a New Year’s Eve party on a train and a gay gorilla.
One of my sister’s friends recommended this movie to
me, so I decided to check this out. I can safely say that this is one of the funniest
comedies ever. You should see this if you have not because you will really like
this comedy. A type of comedy where people make two polar opposites switch
places is something that you would never think happen. However, when you see
how everything comes together, you will find it thoroughly enjoying.
Sadly, it won’t be all good movies this month. Case in
point, look out next week where I will look at a movie that is really
uncomfortable and sickening to watch in “Dan Aykroyd Month.”
No comments:
Post a Comment