Themes: Prison Life, Police Corruption, Witnessing a Crime
Main Cast: Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Obba Babatunde, Ned Beatty, Bernie Mac
Release Year: 1999
Country: US
Run Time: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Comedians Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence team up for a story that wouldn't appear to have many immediate humorous possibilities -- two men serving life sentences in prison for a crime they did not commit. Life opens in Harlem in 1932, where Ray Gibson (Eddie Murphy) is a small-time con man in debt to Spanky, a gangster (Rick James). Ray spots would-be bank teller Claude Banks (Martin Lawrence) at a gambling spot and, figuring him for an easy mark, lifts his wallet -- only to discover Claude is broke. Ray and Claude's mutual need to raise some cash brings them together when Spanky offers them a job bringing back a load of moonshine from bootleggers in the deep south. However, things don't go well for Ray and Claude, and they're arrested by a sheriff in Mississippi who recently killed a man and needs someone on whom he can hang the charge. Since Ray and Claude are black, from out of town and have been caught red-handed with a load of illegal liquor, the sheriff figures they're easy pickings and frames them for the murder. Soon the two men are inmates in a Southern work camp, where they spend the next 55 years learning to get along with the other inmates, avoiding the wrath of the guards, seeing younger prisoners come and go and never losing hope that someday, somehow, their innocence will be proven and they'll be released. Life is the second screen pairing for Murphy and Lawrence, who also shared screen time in 1992's Boomerang, and was scripted by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone from an original idea by Murphy. The supporting cast includes Ned Beatty, Clarence Williams III, Bernie Mac, Nick Cassavetes and R. Lee Ermey. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
This Eddie Murphy/Martin Lawrence prison buddy flick is an underrated tale of bad luck and persevering hope. While the film starts off awkwardly -- almost like Harlem Nights revisited -- the narrative takes off when the unkind hand of fate deals the duo a slew of cruel blows. With Murphy and Lawrence aboard (they also teamed up for Boomerang), one would expect a laugh riot, but Life is not a straight comedy: there are many sad and painful moments throughout the film. Both actors give surprisingly versatile performances: their love-hate buddy act has a chemistry reminscent of Murphy and Nick Nolte in 48 Hrs. or Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Director Ted Demme does a fairly superior job with the material, which embodies elements of Stir Crazy and even a few nods to Cool Hand Luke. Despite its lackluster box office and slighty-overextended scope, Life is above-average tragicomedy. ~ Mike DiBella, All Movie Guide
Miguel A. Nuñez - Biscuit; Clarence Williams III - Winston Hancock; Bokeem Woodbine - Can't Get Right; Michael "Bear" Taliferro - Goldmout; Barry "Shabaka" Henley - Pokerface; Brent Jennings - Hoppin'Bob; Guy Torry - Radio; Lisa Nicole Carson - Sylvia; O'Neal Compton - Superintendent Abernathy; Poppy Montgomery - Older Mae Rose; Ned Vaughn - Young Sheriff Pike; R. Lee Ermey - Older Sheriff Pike; Nick Cassavetes - Sgt. Dillard; Anthony Anderson - Cookie; Noah Emmerich - Stan Blocker; Rick James - Spanky
Credit
Jeff Knipp - Art Director, Tina L. Fortenberry - Associate Producer, Margery Simkin - Casting, James Whitaker - Co-producer, Lucy W. Corrigan - Costume Designer, Josh King - First Assistant Director, Ted Demme - Director, Jeffery Wolf - Editor, James D. Brubaker - Executive Producer, Karen Kehela - Executive Producer, Wyclef Jean - Composer (Music Score), Amanda Scheer-Demme - Musical Direction/Supervision, Rick Baker - Makeup Special Effects, Dan Bishop - Production Designer, Geoffrey Simpson - Cinematographer, Eddie Murphy - Producer, Brian Grazer - Producer, Lori Rowbotham - Set Designer, Maria Baker - Set Designer, Josh Lusby - Set Designer, John H. Anderson - Set Designer, Mary Finn - Set Designer, Russell Williams II - Sound/Sound Designer, Robert Ramsey - Screenwriter, Matthew Stone - Screenwriter, Norval D. Crutcher III - Dialogue Editor
