Later this week we are finally getting a sequel to what I see as nothing short of a truly, truly perfect film. A film whose script, comedy, direction, characters and performances all build together to make one of the finest rom-coms of all time. I am talking of course of John Landis’s 1988 comedic masterpiece Coming to America. With many disputed origins for its story (with its star Eddie Murphy eventually getting the story credit), this ingenious update and comment on the sort of 30’s romantic comedies that go hand in hand with the 30’s social comedies that Murphy and Landis lampooned in Trading Places, follows Prince Akeem as he comes to America to find his bride. Adapted from ‘Murphy’s’ original story idea by frequent Murphy film scribes David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein (Boomerang, The Nutty Professor films), the script really is a film that does what every great rom-com should do, balance the love and joy with the frequent comedy and never spare either of them. Coming to America certainly does no such thing and makes this film that could have very easily been a quickly dated farcical romp, into a timeless piece of comedy and romance, and ultimately a timeless piece of film.

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The project actually ended up in Landis’s lap on Murphy’s account. Come 1988 it was fair to say that Landis was not in the best of shapes in his filmic career, despite many multiple early successes with Trading Places, An American Werewolf in London, Animal House and The Blues Brothers (the sort of foursome of masterpieces any director could only dream of), Landis was now chasing three flops and a serious trial following the on-set accidental murder of three cast members during his segment of The Twilight Zone movie. Between Murphy and Landis multiple heated arguments occurred, resulting in one occurrence of a physical confrontation. Many have speculated that Murphy felt that Landis should have respected him more due to the simple fact that he had possibly saved him from a downward spiral. Landis simply commented that he felt Murphy had grown rather arrogant since 1983’s Trading Places. That is of course a frequent symptom of being the biggest star in the world. Landis and Murphy eventually reconciled their issues and came together for the unfortunately abysmal Beverly Hills Cop 3, by far the worst of their three collaborations. The main focus of the story disputes came to a head when Art Buchwald sued Paramount stating that they had stolen his script idea. Buchwald won and made a hefty $900,000. And yet despite all these issues the film we got is one of the all-timers, as funny and fresh now as it always has been. I watched this time in the knowledge that Landis wished he’d made the film a little shorter, quickening the pace, and although with this knowledge I too found moments that could be quicker – I also felt that the film was just as perfect as it always has been. For me it is no issue that Landis lets the film breathe and lets us remain in the world and stay without characters for longer, because simply we grow to love them. From the largest to the smallest. Let’s start with the largest.

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Our two leads in the film are of course Muprhy and Arsenio Hall as Semmi, his loyal royal servant. Hall is hilarious as the foil to much of Akeem’s fumbling and pursuits as they go about their quest. The Quest actually being the working title for the film. But what separates this performance of Murpy’s from the rest in his cannon is that he’s playing it more or less straight. Murphy plays all of the interior struggle and pain of Akeem’s life with subtle and frequently touching choices that make Akeem more than just a broad stereotype. Many could offer the critique that the film is perhaps dated in its absurd rendering of an African monarchy, but for me this is always underscored by great humanity and character from our leads and from the script. Murphy and Hall however do get multiple chances to play up their incredible comedy chops with them both donning masses of makeup, through 4-5 hour appliance sessions, to create and perform as many of the films hilarious and broader supporting characters. Ranging from a randy and almost asthmatic preacher to a self-important band singer and TV actor by day. The tagline for the film was correct when it boldly claimed “the four funniest men in America are Eddie Murphy”. Perhaps the funniest of all these side characters is Murphy’s donning of an old white Jew in the barbershop, which Landis envisioned as a form of payback for the frequent use of blackface by such comedians early in the century. This too was the first time that Murphy took to playing multiple characters in a film, which would in turn become the staple of his 90’s and 00’s comedic work, to a lesser effect I might add. These characters changes are of course mostly successful to Hall and Murphy’s performances, but one can seriously not underrate Rick Bakers Oscar nominated makeup effects enough. Although he’s here not making werewolves or Michael Jackson zombies for Landis, and instead old Jewish men, Baker does brilliant work making realistic alterations and hence making the characters and ultimately the comedy all the more believable and all the more enjoyable. But America isn’t also without its’ more outlandish moments of comedy, with Landis and Murphy taking their hilarious Trading Places ‘B.L.T’ fourth wall break to a whole new level, with three of them in this film, including one from a dog.

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Beyond our two leads and their many alter-egos we have an extensive cast making up our remaining roles and creating one of the finest comedic ensembles of the 80’s. Paul Bates as Oha steals the film almost with his always hilarious and lovingly soulful rendition of “She’s your queen to be”. James Earl Jones stars as King Jaffe Joffer (in a role originally offered to Sidney Poitier, another African American theatre king). Although Jones wanted the funnier role filled by John Amos, Jones is despertaly needed to fill the full power of being the king as he has done so many times before and after this film. Despite his reservations however for a more serious role, his character too has some excellent comedic moments and some of my favourite lines in the film. Madge Sinclair is terrific as his wife and Akeem’s mother, so poised and elegant as the silent dutiful wife, eventually allowing herself to speak and shut down her husband. For at the heart of this film is a critique of women’s place in certain societies, western and eastern. Every corner of the film is filled with talent, even in the first twenty minutes; with Vanessa Bell Calloway and Calvin Lockhart only having brief moments but filling them too with great humour and humanity. Once we reach America however we are met with even more excellent performances, including two very early roles for Cuba Gooding Jr. and Samuel L Jackson. Gooding is silent, but Jackson is great and highlights his ability right there and then to capture and silence an entire room. Frankie Fiason’s landlord is a great brute, relishing in the riches that are afforded him by his Zamundan guests. Again with terrific comedic effect. Eriq La Salle is exactly the ideal d*ck for Akeem to fight against when it comes to capturing the heart of Shari Headley’s Lisa Mcdowell. Like all great romances, you too have to fall in love with our love intertest and with Lisa, we do just that. She’s smart, beautiful and charming to a fault. You can’t resist loving her. Rounding out our cast is the incredible John Amos as Cleo Mcdowell, who may start as one of the funnier characters of the film, but reveals himself to have one of the strongest hearts in the whole thing. Again; humour and heart is the core of the film.

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The world of Zamunda is a marvel of set design and costume design, with Debora Nadoolman receiving an Oscar nomination for her costuming. The world of Zamunda is a beautiful and dynamic clash of the modern and the regal that makes the ‘fish out of water’ element of the majority of the film all the more entertaining. Every inch of the film is dripping in quality and underscored by Nile Rogers wonderful score bringing us into the world of Zamunda, aswell as imbuing elements of that score and heritage into a contemporary Queens setting. America makes everything important in ways that comedies nowadays just don’t in my opinion. For instance how many recent comedy films have fully choreographed dance numbers that are shot with care and quality and once again add to the world. Choreographed by Paula Abdul no less. And on top of all of this; the film also has the greatest cameo of all time from two previous Landis characters. An absolutely brilliant re-use and surprise that also furthers the plot. Even in its cheapest gags and references, America can’t help but be totally efficient in its structure and character development. An appearance so great that I don’t even wish to mention it here in case it ends up spoiling it for a viewer. But fundamentally it’s just downright funny, and downright sweet and an absolute delight to watch and re-watch and watch again.

A truly, truly perfect film. Fingers crossed for the sequel.

-          - Thomas Carruthers