This one looks both up and down. Up a long way from the
bottom where the reality of the street and life with each other seems
impossible, and down a long way from what was a gloriously fulfilling life it
would seem of money, privilege, invention, creativity, and a shallow bunch of
followers, including those who could take advantage of that situation.
The crossed and ironic relationship between Dell, our man of the
street, and Phillip, our man of the penthouse, is much like the Lion and the
Mouse, comparable also to the Princess Switch, getting another side's view, or
even at a distance, Rich Man Poor Man (ok, reversed because they knew each
other and grew apart). But the "upside" to this film and it's
strength I believe is in finding the redemptive character that can lay in any
person's kit bag, pulling it out, and giving it a chance to be nurtured.
It's not so much about the hustle, as it is laying the hustle aside when given
an opportunity. Ethical behavior and the thoughtful reflection of the
effect of one's relationship on those we influence (Father to Son and Wife in
the case of Dell) are key points on the very straight look at what could
have/should have been (according to stats) the end of a family structure.
But the story doesn't pick a side and bring blame on the wealthy, or even the
situation, rather it sticks closely to the view that, even on the bottom, you
still have control of who you are. The story keys in on the actions and
interactions and decisions of the characters, not looking for scapegoats
here. Hart's character gets confronted on many levels with regards to his
sometimes unwise choices, and also brings up the vulnerability that he has for
needing to prove, quite naturally so, that he is a provider. It is a
clear story about how that unravels in the hood, and how influence works in
many directions to pull people down, and into a vortex of negative
expectations.
There is plenty of material for Kevin Hart the comedian to work
with inside the script, and it comes out bold, yet contained from his live
stage personality, which means.... Kevin has true acting ability and the range
to draw the tear and the sigh as well as the guffaw. His confrontations
with every character are also balanced; teeter-totter like between him serving
up a good dose of reality to the upper Crusties, as well as taking sometimes
deserved hits to his own behavior. Prejudices, we know are not completely
undeserved, are also confronted as a barrier to the healthy function of repair
to our social world, the most prominent case in point being made about the
insipid neighbor that complains about Dell's presence in the building, and
brings up Dell's prison record to demonstrate his distrust to Phillip.
Phillip turns the tables on the neighbor, with a comment on art that I'll not
elaborate on because it's a spoiler. So there is basically redemption all
around in this film, putting it firmly in the class of "feel-good".
As for the Up-Side of Phillip's tale (Cranston), he definitely
needed to care again, to be alive again, and that's the ironic hope that the
man from the Bottom Side brings with him, reason to live, pointing out the
vagaries of Phillip's position to the world, bringing a therapy that he was
surely not aware of on hiring him. Dell allowed Philip to...no actually
encouraged him to get angry, to be real, to experience again (albeit at one
point some of the experience had to do with some street poon that he had to
bribe the doorman to ignore). He did inevitably set him free on the
inside, forced him out into the world, and became...the best candidate for the
job.
The peripheral role played by Kidman as Yvonne was flawless, as
usual for her. She shines as a great actress once again and plays a
pivotal "replacement" role in this story for the space where a spouse
should have been, creating as well the inevitabilities of sexual tension as well
as situation laughs that happen in a trio like this. That character being
drawn in the story also plays a huge role in her absence. The vacuum of
her leaving draws attention to the downward spiral of Phillip's near "2nd
crash".
Great stuff.
- Agitatus
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