Strictly Business

I must say, they surprised me. They surprised me by saving this movie. This movie was headed down the toilet and in the final hour (figuratively) they saved it.

Waymon Tinsdale (Joseph C. Philips) is a financial broker for a big time New York firm. He is successful, Black, and extremely square. They went way over the top in conveying that he was not hip and "whiter than the whitest white man" as stated by his friend Bobby (Tommy Davidson). It was just cringeworthy how out of place they made Waymon around other Black people. I wanted to scream looking at him attempting to fit in.

Then, for as intelligent as he was, they conveniently made him brainless trying to chase after Natalie (Halle Berry). Now, it's not out of the realm of possibility that a man would lose his head over Halle Berry, not at all. I'm sure there are a plethora of brilliant men that have lost their marbles over a beautiful woman, but it didn't fit in this instance.

As the story and the actions of Waymon seemed to get more and more outlandish they flipped it for a fairly brilliant ending. In fact, I was on my way to rating it a 3/10 or less but the ending prompted me to rate it a 7/10. I had a problem with some of the tropes but they were bearable. "Strictly Business" was a very positive movie after all with showing African Americans in a positive light regardless of what side of the tracks they grew up on.

Good clean movie with a message. They don't make them like this anymore. This movie reminds me of a later movie Mo Money!, though more for comedy with the Wayman brothers still clean and fun to watch. I gave this movie a 10 for entertainment value.

(1991) Strictly Business ROMANTIC COMEDY DRAMA

Waymon Tinsdale (Joseph C. Phillips) works for a real estate firm in which he is supposed to look for potential clients willing to invest. And as a result of being unhappy with his current girlfriend who is shallow and artificial, upon having lunch with his boss, he does stumble onto a young woman he became infatuated with who had gotten fired from the very restaurant she was working at. And after dropping her pictures on the ground, he would then go on a crusade to find her, and he is unable to do it without the help of his friend, Bobby (Tommy Davidson) who sort of acts like an intern for the firm. And he would upgrade Bobby to a much higher position in exchange for more information about her as well as meet her.

Strictly Business is a good feel-good comedy movie. Tommy davidson and Joseph Phillips are awesome as an on-screen duo. Halle Berry looks good in this one. This movie is bombed by critics, but I think it's good. I recommend this to anybody and everybody who is a fan of comedy movies.

Overall the movie is really funny and really good. Rating 9 out of 10.

My review was written in November 1991 after a screening on Manhattan's UES.

"Strictly Business" is a feel-good comedy about young blacks moving up the social ladder that could do solid business if audiences respond to a kinder, gentler type of picture.

Film eschews the gritty approach of recent black-themed pics for a Pollyannaish tale in which even the top white execs are portrayed as reasonable and fair-minded. Crossing class and social barriers is the issue here, not race.

The two heroes, debuting on the big screen after TV experience are handsome Joseph C. Phillips, intent on earning a partnership in a leading New York real estate firm, and streetwise Tommy Davidson, his friend in the mailroom who dreams of making the management trainee program.

Key link between the two is beautiful restaurant hostess Halle Berry, with whom Phillips is immediately infatuated. Davidson knows her from the 'hood and agrees to fix them up in return for Phillips' help at work.

Comedy comes from Phillips having to learn how to relate to Berry and other blacks since his nerdish success-oriented behavior has turned him into an insular workaholic.

Except for the forced, strictly wish-fulfillment final reel, the film is kept evenly on track by a light touch from debuting director Kevin Hooks, also a TV recruit.

Phillips displays impressive comic timing in executing some hilarious physical shtick and is complemented by the verbal savvy of stand-up comic Davidson. Anne Marie Johnson as Phillips' bossy girlfriend barks out orders during sex like a drill sergeant and earns some big laughs. Sam Jackson ("Jungle Fever") demonstrates his versatility as the mailroom boss.

Given a glamorous intro not unlike Bo Derek in "10" (complete with slow-mo torso photography), Berry is pic's revelation as a sexy and intelligent young woman. She's featured next in Warner Bros.' Christmas pic "The Last Boy Scout".

Film benefits from an infectious score by Micchel Colombier and several rap tunes by top artists like L. L. Cool J and Big Daddy Kane.