Trading Places (1983)

 Man, this movie and the time we now live in...the conversations that could be made! With the incredible story about the kids on Reddit bringing it to the Wall Street Billionaire Hedge Fund Establishment, the "equity and inclusion" Executive Order signed by the President just recently, and the talk of an imbalance in the have's and have-not's is all here in "Trading Places". This film, despite plenty of cringe (Aykroyd in blackface and speaking Jamaican, Mortimer and Randolph (Ameche and Bellamy) bringing up the n-word in a bathroom and how they would in no way let Murphy's Valentine be in a privileged position at their commodities company (despite being quite smart and successful), Gleason's crooked Beeks (he set up Aykroyd as a thief) being ass-raped by a gorilla in a cage, Curtis (who was cast because of Landis with Paramount frowning upon a "scream queen" being involved in such an A production) having to expose her breasts twice seemingly for no reason while also portraying a prostitute), has some electrifying moments for Murphy (this guy in the 80s was an absolute star, one of my personal favorites from this era of my life) and it also gave Aykroyd a really big part to help salvage his career (which had taken a hit with the loss of Belushi and a string of box office bombs). And Curtis FINALLY broke out as a serious comedienne with great timing and it didn't hurt that she was in the prime of her sexiness. And with Bellamy and Ameche making perfect wealthy dicks worthy of our scorn...those Hedge Fund cretins and billionaires made a fool of the last week so favor the Dukes. With lots of insider trading and members of government seemingly linked, the plot of how this works into the results of "Trading Places" there is a timely nature to the film I think will open eyes wide. And just seeing how Aykroyd, once quite rich and now driven to poverty, alcoholism, and near suicide (downing pills)--with only the charity and dedication by Curtis (who seems to be in it for the money, although by the end of the film is affection and love) to help him survive--recovers, while Murphy, considered such trash by the Dukes that his situation could be exploited on a bet, joins forces with him to make a lesson out of these greedy, corrupt scumbags is a welcome hug to those who have seen too much economic inequality. 4/5 

***So I had made plans to watch "Trading Places" during the Christmas holidays. I hadn't watched "Trading Places" in twenty or so years, since at least the mid 90s. I just didn't get around to it. Since my stepfather was dying from Covid and my mother was very sick with Covid, the holidays sucked. Royally sucked. And because of what happened just last week--something that films and documentaries will foretell in the future--with Reddit and the Hedge Fund crisis, I'm so glad I waited until this evening to watch it.***