Trading Places (1983) Film Review

There a rich pair of brothers (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) who control a lot of stuff, and are having a debate on Nurture vs Nature. To prove a point, they turf rich trader Louis Winthrop (Dan Aykroyd) out on the street and disgrace his name, and bring con artist and beggar Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) in to his position. One thing leads to another and they discover the swap and hatch a plan, along with the hooker with a heart of gold, Ophelia (Jamie Lee Curtis) and awesome butler Coleman (Denholm Elliot).

There are a lot of things politically incorrect about this film, including liberal racism and use of the ‘n’ word, plus almost every woman has her breasts out with very little reason… and perhaps some of that can be explained away by it being the eighties. I think. It’s funny and mostly quite good, even if it is somewhat ridiculous. But it is that good ridiculous that makes you feel warm inside – I’d suggest it was a good film for kids if not for the language and nudity. And the hooker. And the suggestion of certain activities in the prison. Okay, maybe not for kids…

Trading Places was nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song Score and its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score.

 

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) Film Review

Here’s another of the films I watched over and over as a teenager. The humour, the action, and of course, the sticking it to the Nazis – it’s got it all.

Indiana (Harrison Ford) finds out that his father, Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery) has gone missing whilst tracking down the Holy Grail for collector Walter Donovan(Julian Glover). The Holy Grail has been Henry’s life’s passion, and luckily his research helps Indiana track him down, but of course the Nazis are about and that doesn’t make anything easy.

Watching it again, I think it is Sean Connery that makes this film; he and Harrison Ford together. I can’t recall another film where he gets to be so funny; I think of him as suave and collected and sometimes angry, but not funny. This film truly got Indiana Jones back on track after the disaster that was Temple of Doom. Even the opening sequence, with River Phoenix as the young Indiana gets his morals back on track – it’s all about getting things in museums, not making a profit. Onya, Indy.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade won an Oscar for Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing and was nominated for Best Sound and Best Music, Original Score.