Life [Blu-ray]

Director: Ted Demme Ted Demme

Overview

Comedians Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence team up for a story that wouldn't appear to have many immediate humorous possibilities -- two men serving life sentences in prison for a crime they did not commit. Life opens in Harlem in 1932, where Ray Gibson (Eddie Murphy) is a small-time con man in debt to Spanky, a gangster (Rick James). Ray spots would-be bank teller Claude Banks (Martin Lawrence) at a gambling spot and, figuring him for an easy mark, lifts his wallet -- only to discover Claude is broke. Ray and Claude's mutual need to raise some cash brings them together when Spanky offers them a job bringing back a load of moonshine from bootleggers in the deep south. However, things don't go well for Ray and Claude, and they're arrested by a sheriff in Mississippi who recently killed a man and needs someone on whom he can hang the charge. Since Ray and Claude are black, from out of town and have been caught red-handed with a load of illegal liquor, the sheriff figures they're easy pickings and frames them for the murder. Soon the two men are inmates in a Southern work camp, where they spend the next 55 years learning to get along with the other inmates, avoiding the wrath of the guards, seeing younger prisoners come and go and never losing hope that someday, somehow, their innocence will be proven and they'll be released. Life is the second screen pairing for Murphy and Lawrence, who also shared screen time in 1992's Boomerang, and was scripted by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone from an original idea by Murphy. The supporting cast includes Ned Beatty, Clarence Williams III, Bernie Mac, Nick Cassavetes and R. Lee Ermey.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/24/2012
UPC:	0025192112102
Original Release:	1999
Rating:	R
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Digital Theater Systems]
Language:	English
Time:	1:49:00
Sales rank:	19,489

Special Features

Outtakes; Spotlight on Location: The Making of Life; Director's Edits; Rock Land/Interscope Soundtrack Presentation with K-Ci & Jo Jo and Maxwell Music Videos; Feature Commentary with Director Ted Demme

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Eddie Murphy	Rayford Gibson,Mrs. Abernathy
Martin Lawrence	Claude Banks
Ned Beatty	Dexter Wilkins
Clarence Williams III	Winston Hancock
Bernie Mac	Jangle Leg
Bokeem Woodbine	Can't Get Right
Michael Taliferro	Goldmouth
Barry Shabaka Henley	Pokerface
Brent Jennings	Hoppin' Bob
Guy Torry	Radio
Lisa Nicole Carson	Sylvia
O'Neal Compton	Superintendant Abernathy
Clarence Williams	Actor
Poppy Montgomery	Older Mae Rose
Nick Cassavetes	Sgt. Dillard
Anthony Anderson	Cookie
Noah Emmerich	Stan Blocker
Rick James	Spanky
Heavy D	Jake
Bonz Malone	Leon
Ned Vaughn	Young Sherriff Pike
R. Lee Ermey	Older Sherriff Pike
Sanaa Lathan	Daisy
Allyson Call	Young Mae Rose
James D. Brubaker	Judge
Walter Jordan	Slim,Juke Joint Guitarist,Slim (as Walter Jordan)
Brooks Almy	Billy's Mama
Hal Havins	Billy
Hildy Brooks	Nurse Doherty
Kenn Whitaker	Isaac
Ernie Bank	Bathroom Attendant
David Alexander	Doctor
Johnny Brown	Blind Reverend Clay
Armelia McQueen	Mrs. Clay
Nate Evans	Juke Bartender
Todd Everett	Deputy at Mansion
Don Harvey	Man with Lantern
Venus De Milo Thomas	Juke Joint Waitress
Zaid Farid	Shady Cardplayer
Keith Burke	Shady Cardplayer
Haskell Vaughn Anderson III	Junkie
Steven Barr	Fireman
Pete Zahradnick	Fireman
Kenneth White	Deputy
Leonard O. Turner	Superindent Burke
Garcelle Beauvais	Yvette
Augie Blunt	Man in Prison
Quantae Love	Trustee at Line
Sean Lampkin	Trustee at Line
James Emory Jr.	Goldmouth's Son
Bill Gratton	Fire Inspector
Reamy Hall	Mrs. Dillard
Corrie Harris	Sylvia's Girl
Ayanna Maharry	Sylvia's Girl
George Hampton	Prison Guard
Zack Helvey	Captain Tom Burnette
Kimble Jemison	Gang Banger
Jordan Mahome	Gang Banger
William Taylor	Bagman
Jay Arlen Jones	Bagman
Jordan Lund	Funeral Chaplain
Bridgett Morrow	Cocktail Waitress
Ronald Lee Moss	Bouncer
Walter Powell Jr.	Waiter
Chris Prevost	Pilot
Joseph Rappa	Disgruntled Fan
Dawn Robinson	Club Crooner
Obba Babatundé	Willie Long
Leon Sanders	Barkeep
Miguel A. Núñez Jr.	Biscuit
Ted Demme	Actor
Ernie Lee Banks	Bathroom Attendant
Wyclef Jean	Composer

Technical Credits

Robert Ramsey

Matthew Stone

Ted Demme	Director
James D. Brubaker	Executive Producer
Brian Grazer	Producer
Karen Kehela	Executive Producer
Eddie Murphy	Producer
Alan Oliney	Stunts
Margery Simkin	Casting
Dan Sudick	Special Effects
Robert Ramsey	Screenwriter
Karen Kehela Sherwood	Producer
Roy Augenstein	Special Effects
Mello Alexandria	Stunts
James Ashwill	Sound Effects
Jim Whitaker	Producer
Bobbi Banks	Sound Effects
Odin Benitez	Sound Effects
Gaston Biraben	Sound Effects
David Boulton	Sound Effects
Matthew Stone	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

This Eddie Murphy/Martin Lawrence prison buddy flick is an underrated tale of bad luck and persevering hope. While the film starts off awkwardly -- almost like Harlem Nights revisited -- the narrative takes off when the unkind hand of fate deals the duo a slew of cruel blows. With Murphy and Lawrence aboard (they also teamed up for Boomerang), one would expect a laugh riot, but Life is not a straight comedy: there are many sad and painful moments throughout the film. Both actors give surprisingly versatile performances: their love-hate buddy act has a chemistry reminscent of Murphy and Nick Nolte in 48 Hrs. or Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Director Ted Demme does a fairly superior job with the material, which embodies elements of Stir Crazy and even a few nods to Cool Hand Luke. Despite its lackluster box office and slighty-overextended scope, Life is above-average tragicomedy.