The Distinguished Gentleman (1992)

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

What is the difference between a small time con-man and a politician? Trick question. They're the same! (Unless you want to argue that the politician isn't small time I guess.) Anyway hilarious rib-ticklers aside… When local hustler Jeff Johnson capitalizes on a naming similarity and vaults into the US Senate, he immediately sets about reaching towards all the well manicured hands holding out money and favours.Seeing a handsome and well spoken black man gives party high-ups ideas, they latch onto Johnson and give him simple instructions "Shut up and smile big".This works well initially when Johnson amazingly is fast tracked through to positions others in parliament wait years for, but then things change for Johnson… As the DVD cover might say Johnson comes into contact with a well meaning and determined young woman named Celia, who catches both his eye and his heart. Celia introduces Johnson to some of the more 'real-life' situations that are all too often ignored by politicians seduced by big business and big budgets.Will Johnson himself learn to grow a heart when all around him are heartless, or will he simply become another greedy unfeeling politician? This was the early 90s and was obviously a project lying in a studio drawer waiting for a big star to sign on and green light it. If it were Stallone they would have played off the 'big dumb guy with muscles' angle, Bruce Willis would have smirked his way through proceedings and a bunch of peripheral actors would have seen it vanish from shelves and cinemas within weeks.But they got Ed near the height of his powers, as well as his smile and laugh Murphy gets to unleash his array of voices and characters to provide a few decent chuckles, and it must be said that the supporting cast are all pretty reasonable in a paint by numbers affair.I liked it. I don't remember it. But I remember I liked it.Final Rating – 6 / 10. The Distinguished Gentleman is hardly necessary and is as light as a supermodel, but it is a likable flick with a laugh or two and a half-hearted political lampoon that breezes over severe corruption and how empty campaign promises are.

This script is so smart. It's like (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) yet after changing the lead character from unsophisticated honest to sophisticated dishonest. And the aim is foxy; as when a hustler goes to the Congress he would be a very slight one. It got the journey that makes that little conman has a redemption out of beating the bigger conmen. I loved countless details and scenes. The clueless yet enthusiastic speech of "read my lips", "I know nothing about poultry, but I know people. So if you people come to me and say something about poultry…I'm going to listen", plus the scene of "what law you voted for?!" were certainly the best when it comes to define the true and bitter sarcasm of this script. (Eddie Murphy) was nice. I loved him while talking "white", or imitating Martin Luther King. And it was a good choice for his 11th movie. Clearly with (The Distinguished Gentleman) the man wanted to make comedy with something serious in the mix this time. But as a whole it wasn't a distinguished movie itself. It was somewhat like a worthy of Oscar material with a worthy of Razzie direction! The direction didn't give the matters its appropriate shadows. The artistic factors are none. All the scenes were made similarly. For instance there were, in most cases, no different uses for the lighting so all the scenes looked the same. The sets didn't embody the stateliness of the Congress, not even outwardly. The music didn't play any role, it wasn't funny, or serious; simply weak. Sometimes I felt that I was watching a bad TV episode done on a too limited budget too. Sure with another director that might have been one memorable political satire. The casting of the powerful guys wasn't powerful. They looked less menacing than what they are supposed to be. Over and above the script weakened itself by its very ending; actually after clever climax it inclined to be farcical for the sake of being happy. Simply the lead went and exposed a scheme that will push him into jail, while we see him, right after it, free, so honored, and thinking of running for presidency ??!! Well, they wanted it just a comedy after all. However it wasn't that highly attractive. And as a serious movie it didn't achieve much with the very promising material that it has. Mediocre result both ways. Or disappointing if you longed for more. Wanna hear something good; this is way WAY better than Murphy's other movie from the same year, the supposed romantic comedy, (Boomerang)!

every white person is evil and every black person is good. Thomas Jefferson Johnson: Chairman Dodge, please! Would you tell him that it's Mr. Joshua Benjamin from the NAACP on the line! Actually Mame, you could be a great deal of help, I have a few minor questions.Thomas Jefferson Johnson: Chairman Dodge, please! Would you tell him that it's Mr. Joshua Benjamin from the NAACP on the line! Actually Mame, you could be a great deal of help, I have a few minor questions. I would like to know how many members of the Chairman's committee are African American I would like to know how many members of the Chairman's committee are African AmericanThomas Jefferson Johnson: Chairman Dodge, please! Would you tell him that it's Mr. Joshua Benjamin from the NAACP on the line! Actually Mame, you could be a great deal of help, I have a few minor questions. I would like to know how many members of the Chairman's committee are African American

Thomas Jefferson Johnson is a small time con artist who realises the money in politics when he overhears Congressman Jeff Johnson during one of his scams. When the Congressman dies between his secretary's legs in his office while "poling the electorate" Thomas sees his opportunity. Dropping his first name in the hope that name recognition will see him through, Thomas and his crew go to work and it is not long before they slide their way to Washington. Once in town he gets on the gravy train straight away – joining his colleagues in Congress, he is soon up to his neck in contributions and fund raisers but is this really what it is all about?Although it starts out with plenty of big, easy targets the first half of the film is lively and quite funny. The broad satire is never that cutting or intelligent but it does the job for an Eddie Murphy comedy. Unfortunately, around the halfway mark the obvious plot suddenly has Thomas develop a heart and the film grinds to a halt. Happily it gets its senses back in the final section and is a return to the lively first part – this is not to say that it is brilliant because it isn't, but it is amusing and pretty enjoyable apart from the narrative arch having a massive hole in the middle of it.The cast are mixed dependant on their material. Murphy himself is on good form. His con artist character suits his on screen personae and he works the dialogue really well – he is all at sea when he has to convince the audience of the change in his character but he moves through that as quickly as he can. The supporting cast are all in his shadow on this but at least there are plenty of famous faces. Smith, Dutton, McBride, Baker, Ralph and McCarthy all add an ensemble feel to the film even if it is very much Murphy's vehicle. Lynn's direction is OK but he can't do much of real intelligence with the basic tools presented to him by the writers.Overall this is not the sharpest of satires but the big simple targets are still enjoyably hit. The middle section is poor but Murphy ensures that the majority of it will be good enough to please his fans even if it could have been so much better.