On C List of Movie Reviews
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The Cotton Club (1984)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
10/23
10/23:
What goes on in The Cotton Club is more or less true.
The club did show only light-skinned black entertainers, had been strictly patronized by whites, and was owned by a British
gangster named Owney Madden. Not many people know Harlem was a white community for decades until the blacks took over
during the 30's. There's a mix of factual and made-up names (Dixie Dwyer didn't exist and was probably
George Raft) while the rest of the details are fictional.
Standing out the most are the costumes and the cinematography. They're what makes the film go. However, there are too many
subplots. Francis Ford Coppola is a gifted storyteller, but he lost control over them. I don't see the point to the
relationship of Gregory Hines' and Lonette McKee's characters. The same can be somewhat said for Richard Gere and Diane
Lane although they have fair chemistry, hence eventually doing two more films together.
Thanks to the all-star cast, the performances on the whole are easy to like. Richard Gere can actually play the cornet. James
Remar steals the show as Dutch Schultz. It's strange seeing Laurence Fishburne because he'll do an expanded version
of his character in an overlong film called Hoodlum involving Dutch Schultz and Lucky Luciano.
All in all, although The Cotton Club has a bad reputation due to producer Robert Evans' mishandling everything, it's an
enjoyable period picture.