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.
Review of Harlem Nights
