It is a pleasure to see a performer with the talent of Eddie Murphy get better right in front of your eyes.
He did it in The Nutty Professor, a comical tour de force. In Life, he takes another great leap forward in a story that calls for as much pathos as wackiness.
His partner in this tragicomic prison yarn is Martin Lawrence, whose fettle seems just fine and tuned to match the redoubtable Mr. Murphy step for step in language that could literally turn the air blue.
The tale begins in 1932. Mr. Murphy plays Rayford Gibson, a pickpocket and petty hustler who saves the buttoned-down Claude Banks (Mr. Lawrence) from a tough gangster (Rick James) by promising to haul a load of bootleg liquor to New York from Mississippi.
Down South, Ray and Claude are distracted by girls and gambling long enough to be framed for a murder and sentenced to life on a chain gang.
Once they land in Camp 8, the story takes on echoes of Cool Hand Luke and Stalag 17, as the two men make their place among a colorful assortment of inmates and officers. Stand-outs include Obba Babatunde as an unofficial camp leader and Nick Cassavetes as the gun-toting Sgt. Dillard.
The movie, written by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone, provides many chances for the star comedians to cross wits as mismatched partners thrown into hell together.
It is delightful, though not necessarily surprising, to see them score honest, gut-grabbing laughs with earthy, high-speed and extremely profane verbal sparring.
What is less predictable is the depth that the two actors and director Ted Demme bring to the party. They never lose sight of the heart-breaking truth behind their wise-cracking heroes, and their awareness lends the film intelligence and authenticity.
In addition to a diverse ensemble cast that includes rapper Heavy D and TV star Lisa Nicole Carson, the movie also boasts a fine musical score by Wyclef Jean.
Oscar-winning makeup designer Rick Baker, who turned Mr. Murphy into an entire family in The Nutty Professor, performs more astonishing feats here with characters who age 65 years over the course of the movie.
More movie reviews...
