A Piece of the Action (1977)

Very well executed

Very best movie i ever watch

Absolutely Fantastic

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

As the film that marked his initial retirement from acting, then this isn't a bad film for Sidney Poitier to bow out on. He even gets to teach a class of unruly kids and educate them on discipline and self-respect, almost like it was a decade earlier.Although this is regarded as part of the Cosby-Poitier comedy trilogy, A Piece of the Action is more like a comedy thriller than an overt humour vehicle. Most of the laughs - if, indeed, you agree there are any - arise naturally out of the piece, rather than Poitier's friends coming on and doing hammed up "turns" as was the case in Uptown Saturday Night. The film has a lot to say on the human condition, and, while heavy- handed in the way it says it, does so well. Poitier - now fully ensconced in making black cinema, seemingly as a reaction to the sexless perfect black men he'd played to a white audience for so long - even gets to defy that he's anyone's "boy" in this movie. And until one of his comeback roles gave us an "MF" (1992's Sneakers) then this is the only place you'll hear him say something like "titty sucker".Seeing these films through the eyes of Harry Belafonte is perhaps most rewarding, as he was scathing of the original script to Uptown Saturday Night in his 2011 autobiography. The star, friend, and sometimes rival of Sidney revealed that he found the comedy to be predictable and trite, and advised Poitier to stay one step ahead of the audience by bringing in a sea of names, one after the other, to do unconnected skits... himself contributing a Godfather parody. Belafonte had no interest in minor roles for the two sort-of sequels, and, having thought they'd got away with it once, had no desire to chance it again.Another comment of Harry's was that Poitier had first stepped into the director's chair to replace a director who was removed from 1972's Buck and the Preacher. Belafonte noted that, while serviceable, everyone knew that Poitier wasn't Martin Scorcese, including himself. It's a fair assessment, and a reasonable profile of a man who was just interested in getting movies made without undue artistic flair. Sidney Poitier wasn't in the same league as many of the men that had guided him before a lens, no Stanley Kramer, or no Norman Jewison. But then he was capable of delivering a diverting package that was easy for anyone to enjoy, and no one ever rated Stir Crazy on its mise-en-scène.

When I read notlobg68's review of this film, I couldn't help but provide a contrasting perspective. I first saw this film when I was a child of about four in the 70s. I remember feeding off of the energy that was in the audience as people of color watched themselves on-screen in a way that was more uplifting than other films with a principal cast consisting largely of people of color. I decided to watch the Poitier/Cosby duo films in succession again to see if they stood up to the test of time. First, to judge this film against the other two is unfair. While "Uptown Saturday Night" and "Let's Do It Again" are comedic 'let's chase the stolen money' films (and successful in their own right in providing an entertaining experience), "A Piece of the Action" goes for something a bit deeper.The real theme of this movie centers around 'bridging the generational gap' (and if this part doesn't work for you, then you don't enjoy the film.) There's an incredible exchange between Barbara (a young Sheryl Lee Ralph) and her teacher Ms. Thomas (Hope Clarke). After being singled out in class, Barbara let's her repressed feelings of anger fly. In a scene that hints at a conflict that is just as relevant today, Barbara somewhat accurately (albeit disrespectfully) expresses the frustration that she and other lower income people of color felt towards their more financially stable contemporaries. The romance between Bill Cosby and an incredibly beautiful Denise Nicholas is wonderful. Seeing people of color court each other in a way that was as tasteful as these scenes are was a rarity on-screen in the 1970s. On the weak side is the somewhat unbelievable 'mob presence' plot in the film. While these themes are done better in the other Cosby/Poitier films, their presence helped pace the film and injected a bit of action and suspense.This film was released more than thirty years ago and it held my attention in a way that the first two films didn't. Yes, the first two may have contained more action, but the real plot of this film centers around the effort to prepare these disenfranchised children for a gainful working experience. I am not ashamed to say that I was close to tears during the end scene between Ralph and Clarke. Watching that scene and seeing the transformation that an angry and seemingly hopeless child goes through after receiving just a bit of encouragement makes you believe for a moment that almost any child can be reached if you put in the effort.If you want chase scenes, crazy suits, and more laughs, the first two films will entertain you thoroughly. However, if you want to trade in that action for a more engaging and challenging plot, this is your film. Sidney Poitier holds up a mirror to society in 1977 regarding young people of color and some of the issues that they faced. All three films are entertaining, but I have to say that this film shows Poitier's growth and ends their buddy films in an incredibly satisfying way.

In reviewing films involving African-Americans in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now at 1977 with A Piece of the Action. This is the third and last teaming of Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby and the fifth directorial effort of Poitier. Before I go on, I'd just like to note that this movie takes place and is filmed in Chicago, Ill., which was where I was born and lived for the first six years of my life. The music composer, Curtis Mayfield, himself was a Windy City native. Also, since I'm now a Louisiana resident, I'd like to mention that one cast member-Eric Laneuville-is from New Orleans. Okay, here's the premise: Both Cosby and Poitier, separately since they don't know each other in the beginning, have taken large amounts of money from the bank and the mob, respectively. James Earl Jones, as a retired police detective, blackmails them to work at a community center to avoid going to jail. I'll stop there and say while there's plenty of laughs from both of the leads and some of the characters that surround them (love the parents and relatives of Poitier's girlfriend Nikki, one of whom is played by "Good Times" Ja'net DuBois), this was also a pretty serious movie about getting ghetto kids to get honest jobs with Poitier acting like his teacher role from To Sir, With Love with good results. Also loved Cosby's flirtations with Denise Nicholas and the way she laughs at his lines and faces. Oh, and the janitor, Mr. Theodore is played by Sidney's older brother Cyril. While the film is pretty long and some scenes are short-cut with a line, this was a pretty enjoyable movie that made me a little sad that Poitier choose to concentrate on directing at the expense of his performing career for the next 11 years. When he did come back, however, he did manage to still entertain in various features and TV movies though he hasn't been in anything since 2001. If what he did then was the last of his work, then at least he has a wonderful legacy. As for Dr. Cosby, his peak of success was to come with "The Cosby Show" which was one of the last enjoyable family sitcoms to come on network TV. For anyone wanting to see Poitier and Cosby as a team however, Uptown Saturday Night, Let's Do It Again, and A Piece of the Action provide plenty of enjoyment for fans of both.

Worth a look on late night TV otherwise skip this misfire.Piece of the Action starts off like a crime caper and ends up wanting to be a morality play. Problem is there is no character development. We are supposed to accept Cosby and Poitier as personalities not actors playing fully developed characters.This is an uneven script. You can almost see two movies cut into this thing. There's the crime caper.And there's the Welcome Back Kotter type class of losers who need to get jobs. This is the morality play part. And it's all jive.We're supposed to accept Cosby and Poitier as wonderful guys who lead blessed lives even though they are no better than the mob guys they swindle. What a mess.