Harlem Nights (1989)

Simply A Masterpiece

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

There's only a few things that are a little bumpy in the plot. Otherwise, this movie is very clever. For instance, a real gangster would've took revenge for killing his girl. And I'm pretty sure there weren't any black cops in the 1930's. But aside from these and a few others, there are no major holes in the story. It flows just fine contrary to what some critics say, and Eddie did an above average job directing it. Critics are really criticizing Eddie for writing, directing, and starring in his own movie. All they see is the vanity. You'll notice that they always go on to mention some other movies of his that flopped. Only someone more interested in the man than the movie would do that. Real critics would talk only about the movie at hand. They did the same thing to Prince when he directed Under the Cherry Moon which was also a pretty good movie. Eddie did not receive a fair shake on this one and shame on those critics to give this movie with great imagination and costumes and comedy a 4.8 rating then you give a movie like Juno which was one of the most bland and plain comedies about something as common as teenage pregnancy a 7.5? Really? This is a blatant example of not being judged by peers. Who are these so called critics?

A great cast full of amazing comics, solid writing, and fun situations detailing the changing of the guard in NYC's criminal past make this movie one of my favorites. It isn't a laugh a minute, and isn't supposed to be, but it keeps a light-hearted spirit and a general tenor of good nature even in it's darkest moments. The cast is excellent and brilliant at keeping the movie well-paced and engaging and the characters are fleshed out just enough that the comedy behind them shines through. Completely entertaining and features Eddie Murphy at his prime (although it's certainly a bit of Eddie patting himself on the back for being so damned charming and brilliant as writer, director and star, but he's honestly done a great job. The man knows funny.) In a word: fun.

This is a good movie, and for one reason: Danny Aiello. He carries the movie. The other characters are shallow two-dimensional facsimiles of gangsters. Aiello injects an element of reality into the story. His character is malevolent, and explains why his is angry: he observes all around him that crime pays off while he, a police officer, has nothing. This theme, that crime pays, pervades the entire movie. Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor are not properly casted for their roles as gangsters. They cannot transcend and suppress their comical natures. The problem is that their characters are not funny. Hence, their performances come off as phony. This is a problem for the comic actor: to be taken seriously when performing a dramatic part. Also, much of the acting is stagy, with the exception of Aiello's and Redd Foxx, who delivers a surprisingly serious and subdued performance in a supporting capacity. Yet, despite these shortcomings, the story is engaging and is worth watching.

The setup: "Sugar" Ray is the owner of an illegal casino, who contend with the pressures of vicious gangster and corrupt policemen who want to see him go out of business. In the world of organized crime and police corruption in the 1920s, any dastardly trick is fair.The verdict: HARLEM NIGHTS is plagued by plot holes and inane dialog. Many scenes do not feel believable, but great performances help to enhance this amazing story. All the characters struggle against a system that has perpetuated falsehoods, and there are verbal fisticuffs back and forth. I think it is still a reasonable film. This film is not as bad as they say.