Just a couple of days ago I
mentioned in my Beverly Hills Cop
review that I hadn’t seen any of Eddie Murphy’s early films. I realised
afterwards that this was incorrect as years ago I’d seen an even earlier movie,
Trading Places. It just so happened
that I’d recorded that very same movie a few weeks ago and watched it again
yesterday. Trading Places is a
satirical comedy in which two very wealthy commodities brokers mess with the
lives of an employee and a homeless man for their own amusement. Their nature
vs. nurture argument leads to a bet that they can turn a poor, uneducated black
man (Eddie Murphy) into a wealthy broker while simultaneously turning their
suave and successful employee (Dan Aykroyd) into a bum who turns to crime.
Despite its liberal message Trading Places is all over the place
morally and much of the humour is derived from racist or offensive material.
It’s not a particularly funny film in general but is well made and despite the
inherent moral problems with the story, the plot is engaging and thought
provoking. The film opens with a montage which sites the differences between Philadelphia’s rich and
poor. In the inner city kids are seen playing in littered streets and men
huddled round burning drums while in more upmarket areas, people are waited on
by butlers and enjoy fine cuisine. This difference is then extended to the
introduction of the central characters.
