Wie geht's aufwärts?

Pyror was genius! Seeing it again after 30+ years you have to really respect what was necessary to produce this movie in 1970's climate! Also pleased to see Bebe Drake, Margaret Avery, Marilyn Coleman, and of course Vonnetta McKee. Margaret and Vonnetta went on to have their own successes and I've always been proud of them but Bebe and Marilyn have turned out to be character actresses for black womanhood! I love them! They may not have the same name recognition as some of the others but they have truly endured through time! They are in so many different roles and bring something different to them all. They were outstanding in WWIU but I look forward to seeing them wherever they turn up!

It's been about 30 years since I almost watched the entirety of this movie (the only reason I couldn't was because I was 13 at the time and my mom wouldn't let me watch the rest when she caught me watching a sex scene!) so now that I have indeed done so on Netflix Streaming, I'm sooo glad I did! Richard Pryor must of had the time of his life making this movie with director Michael Schultz especially when-in the only time in his career-he portrayed three characters: Leading player Leroy Jones, his father Rufus, and reverend Lenox Thomas. The story deals with unions, promotions, adultery, sexual problems, and trying to find a balance of it all. Leroy has his hands full dealing with wife Margaret Avery as Annie Mae, Lonette McKee as social activist Vanetta, and Marilyn Coleman as Sister Sarah, wife of the reverend. Pryor's scenes with Ms. McKee are the most romantic, while his sequences with Ms. Avery and Ms. Coleman are the most comic. But they all have some poignancy about them that makes one care for them. Pryor himself is at his best with his takes on each character and the way Leroy changes his demeanor for whatever occasion. In other words, I found Which Way Is Up? quite hilarious so yeah, that's a high recommendation.

Based on "The Seduction of Mimi", this Americanized version of the script loses much in the translation. Significantly damaged are the cutting social satire and the tragic aspect. The original, dealing with radical Italian politics and labor issues, Italian concepts of family honor, traditional Italian gender roles and an intimidating pyramid of social corruption MIGHT have worked here IF the Hollywood scriptwriters knew how to superimpose a uniquely American template onto these themes and redrew the map to fit. Instead they used the original script verbatim and threw-out anything too idiomatic, replacing political irony with rather dumb 70s TV sitcom jokes.

This left Pryor in the unenviable position of having to shore-up this spineless farce. He's left pretty much on his own. As in too many Peter Sellers movies, he's given free reign to pad the scenes with comic improvisation. In front of an audience Pryor was a genius at this. The camera just doesn't pick it up here. Most of his valiant efforts fall flat. Both Margaret Avery and Marilyn Coleman give more finely tuned comedic performances.

Pryor may actually be miscast. The role of Leroy calls for a Chaplineque everyman caught in the middle of tyrannical forces over which he has no control and must constantly deny his ideals and desires in order to survive. The role calls for an idiot, but a sympathetic one, and Pryor isn't credible as a dope. When he attempts to look clueless, he looks like a hip wiseguy trying to look innocent. And that's really funny in the right situation. But here it works like a spice trying to taste bland.

Fortunately, Pryor would try his hand at this type of character in Blue Collar with far better results.

I'm certain most of the blame can be leveled on both the producer and director. Steve Krantz was okay with cartoons, but a total hack at producing live action films. He was probably hovering around impeding the camera-work and making sure there were no retakes. Michael Schultz never made much of his directorial career and is particularly stale in the comedy genre. After some early potential he quickly sold himself out as a Hollywood flunkie for square producers like Krantz.

Five stars for Pryor because anything he's in is worth a look, plus an extra star for Avery, Coleman and gratuitous sightings of Korla Pandit and Hank Worden.

Richard had that effect on me! When he was on there has never been anyone who could cause me laugh harder or gasping for breath longer. Dave Chappelle came close, George Carlin was in the neighborhood (he was a bit more cerebral later in his career), Eddie Murphy could from time to time, but for pure standup perfection and improvisation Richard Pryor ruled and for me he always will. He played three roles in 'Which Way is Up', one as funny as the other. However perhaps the Preacher role (Reverend Lennox Thomas) especially for the roles pure unadulterated hypocrisy due to the "Reverends" unchecked ardor and avarice (remind you of any of the Evangelists of today?) made me laugh the most but this whole movie was funny from beginning to end. Richard you left us too early, miss you man!

Between 1975 and 1978,Richard Pryor was at the top of his creative game and this 1977 film was one of his best and one of his most underrated.In this film,Pryor assumes three roles(a fruit picker turned corporate flunky,his randy father and a shady preacher).A must see for any pryor fan.I recently saw this film again on BET Movies and I laughed just as hard as I did on the first viewing in 1977.Check it out.