Strictly Business

I remember seeing this movie back in 1991, and a couple of times on TV, then it just disappeared. I was surprised to find that it was still in print on VHS, and I purchased it immediately! Tommy and Joseph are great in their roles. Not to mention it's great to see Halle Berry in her dope early '90s fashion, complete with ripped knee jeans and a leather jacket. Samuel Jackson plays his role great too as the boss from hell! This is a fun movie, and is very enjoyable to watch multiple times. It would be great to see it available on DVD in the future, but the VHS still looks great even after all of these years.

Sketches from the everyday life of a successful New York office, with varying results achieving its goals by selling real estate, ranging from detached expensive buildings to entire neighborhoods. There are two African Americans on its staff. The first is a trader named Wayon, drowning in work 24/7, aiming for the position of a business partner, «whiter than other whites». The second is a typical street slob and party animal, leading his way, apparently, from somewhere in Harlem, in his own way reflecting the context of his era, a guy named Bobby. He barely holds on to the role of a messenger, delivering and sorting documents of varying importance, periodically causing the wrath of the episodically appearing boss in the person of Samuel L. Jackson.

One day, opposites working in the same structure, but coming from different worlds, will have to collide, as Wayon really liked an unfamiliar beauty in the person of Halle Berry. Bobby will help Wayon find «his dream», and Wayon will help Bobby move up a few notches in business, where the term «stepping on heads» is not rude at all, but a factual reality. In general a fairly standard and classic plot twist, with some adjustments for the «street» specifics, a light melodrama, with a dash of comedy.

Actually, this very «lightness» becomes the other side of the coin - there is no high-flown dramaturgy or conventionally complex messages here, and you can't expect anything in the spirit of Spike Lee's «Jungle Fever», released in the same 1991, where Halle Berry also managed to make her mark in one of her earliest and rather atypical roles. The film also does not claim the laurels of «Wall Street» (1987). To a greater extent, there is a set of purely situational, topical sketches, strung together on a common, rather conventional plot line and placed in a not very long running time of one hour and twenty minutes, but devoid of any depth. The film is generally not bad, but does not stand out in any special way.

I'm not sure if it's because people don't like popular actors' earlier works or if it's just because the movie was released in 1991, which is considered to be old now, but viewers have the tendency to find lesser value in these kinds of films. Yet, there are various actors here that should help make the viewer at least give it a watch for curiosity. Seriously, Samuel L. Jackson, the guy who played Nick Fury from The Avengers (2012) and Mace Windu from the three Star Wars prequels is in this movie acting as a balding grumpy boss at a business firm! It's quite comical to see him in this kind of role.

The premise is very basic, a businessman finds the girl of his dreams but can't find a way to meet her. Luckily, he has a friend who can get him inside the world she lives in so he can finally be happy. The businessman who only knows how to be a "business man" and nothing else is Waymon (Joseph C. Phillips). Waymon is the best portrayal of how backward someone's life can be depending on how they're brought up. To show this, Phillips makes Waymon look like a stiff, a guy who can't adapt to something different or new; a book worm. That's very relateable because a lot of people are like that when it comes to trying new things and breaking their comfort shell.

The person who will introduce Waymon to this change is Bobby (Tommy Davidson) who apparently lives in Harlem; in other words, his type of demeanor is quite the opposite of Waymon. This is what makes various scenes funny because of how Bobby acts with his co-workers and Waymon. The girl that Waymon wants to get to know is Natalie, played the ever so popular Halle Berry. May I mention that this is only her second theatrical release where she actually plays a more significant role? But even here, she puts in a nice performance, although it could be said that she's just here for eye-candy (which should be a reason to watch this I would think). The rest of the cast also does a good job in doing their part, so no complaints here.

Pam Gibson and Nelson George who did the writing have a decent script here as well. I am surprised to how many times the "N" word was spoken; yet I feel now that if it were left out, it would not have felt as authentic. The subplots are also rather typical but it's forgivable because how much charm the main actors give their characters. There are several genuinely funny scenes in this movie as well. Most of these scenes are the exchanges between Waymon and Bobby when Natalie is around.

However, the one thing I found a little unrealistic is how certain characters had connections to important people. I mean, I know it's possible but both characters have to have some kind of status on the corporate latter, not just one, unless it is one of those rare cases. So I was a little confused on how they met. No explanation was given, that could have at least been explained. Lastly, the musical score provided by Michel Colombier didn't have a main theme but it did carry a consistent tone, which pleased me. A lot of the music played carries culture and continually sounds upbeat and energetic. That always helps a movie, especially if its genre is romance/comedy. It's all around a solid movie.

Not only does it contain performances from actors in their earlier days but it also has a good story to go along with it. The character portrayals are also well scripted.

(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.

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.