DVD Movie Rating for: Life

3 out of 5 stars

Movie Plot of: Life

In the mid-1990s, two inmates bury the burned bodies of two lifers at Mississippi's infamous Parchman Farm; a third old-timer relates their story. They'd served 65 years for a murder they didn't commit, framed by a local sheriff while buying moonshine whiskey for a Manhattan club owner to whom they owed money. In flashbacks we see this odd couple thrown together (Ray is a fast-talking con man, and Claude is a serious man about to start work as a bank teller), the loss of Ray's watch (sterling silver, from his daddy), the murder and trial, the hardships of Parchman, and the love-hate relationship of Claude and Ray as they spend 65 years bickering and looking for a way to escape.

DVD Production Details of: Life

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence

Director: Ted Demme

Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby

Studio: Universal Studios

DVD Release Date: March 5, 2002
DVD Features:
Commentary by director Ted Demme

Production notes

Theatrical trailer(s)

Spotlight on Location Featurette

Outtakes/Director's Edits

Music Highlights & Rock Land/Interscope Soundtrack Presentation with K-Ci & Jo Jo and Maxwell Music Videos

Universal Showcase: Trailers for Mystery Men & For Love of the Game

plus! DVD-ROM Materials: Stars, Story, Soundtrack, Filmmakers, Behind the Scenes

Widescreen anamorphic format

DVD Easter Eggs

From the disc's main menu, go to the 'Bonus Material'. There, on the second page, go to the 'Cast & Crew Biographies' and select Eddie Murphy. At the end, in his filmography, you will find trailers to 'The Nutty Professor' and 'Bowfinger' which will coem to DVD soon, too.

Cast of the movie: Life

• Eddie Murphy.... Rayford Gibson
• Martin Lawrence.... Claude Banks
• Obba Babatundé .... Willie Long
• Nick Cassavetes .... Sergeant Dillard
• Anthony Anderson .... Cookie
• Barry Shabaka Henley .... Pokerface
• Brent Jennings .... Hoppin' Bob
• Bernie Mac .... Jangle Leg
• Miguel A. Núñez Jr. .... Biscuit
• Michael Taliferro .... Goldmouth (as Michael 'Bear' Taliferro)
• Guy Torry .... Radio
• Bokeem Woodbine .... Can't Get Right
• Ned Beatty .... Dexter Wilkins
• Lisa Nicole Carson .... Sylvia
• O'Neal Compton .... Superintendant Abernathy

Photo Gallery of the movie: Life

Click on one of the thumbnails to see the full size, high resolution photographs

Life

Reviews of the movie: Life

Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy play it surprisingly straight in this film by director Ted Demme. Though there are laughs to be had, this is a story about perseverance in the face of a life of disappointment (yet the film was sold as a prison comedy). But Stir Crazy this isn't. Rather, Lawrence and Murphy play a couple of New Yorkers making a moonshine run from New York to Mississippi during the Prohibition who find themselves framed for murder and sentenced for life to a prison chain gang. As they age, the two become close friends, although the strait-laced Lawrence always resents the free-wheeling Murphy for getting him into the situation in the first place. Ultimately, these two men learn to find meaning where they can, taking value from friendship and their limited ability to affect the lives of others. At times preachy, it ends on an upbeat note; the film's biggest laughs are reserved for the final section, in which Lawrence and Murphy don age makeup and play octogenarians

I cannot even begin to count how many `comedies' I have sat through that try to reach for the `timeless' formula by interjecting some lame dramatics to engage the audience even more than the comedy ever could. It's a practice as old as time in Hollywood. Most of these movies fail miserably.

You leave the theater thinking `It was funny enough, why couldn't it just stay silly?' My friends, I'm with you on every page. It's a slippery slope to juggle the two genres.

`Life' is the millionth attempt at warm-hearted comedy. It tries to make you pee your pants with its jokes, and yet slap your emotions around with the drama. And damn the odds, it fits like a glove. `Life' is also a film that defies much criticism. You either love stars Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence, or you don't. I'm in the first category. As the main characters, the two comedians prove just how valuable they are. Murphy is coming off a uniquely horrific year. `Dr. Dolittle' was a smash, but a career setback to say the least. `Holy Man' was an unmitigated disaster, but one that didn't effect Murphy with any real damage. The greatest gift `Life' gives to Murphy is a chance to show off range. Murphy is a very talented actor, and this movie makes you wish he would try a straight drama for once. Murphy can be devastatingly funny. But he can also be very dramatically convincing. With each new movie, Murphy grows as an actor. I really think he's set for brighter things. Martin Lawrence shares many of the same attributes as Murphy. He's terribly funny, and yet able to win your heart with a depth most comedians don't have. `Life' has Lawrence with the quieter role. He uses that chance to provide the film with a backbone. He eventually comes out the best rounded character in the fractured storytelling. It's a good performance, but even better, it's a brilliant pairing with Eddie Murphy. The two are seamlessly funny. Squeezing every moment for comic and emotional juice. It's refreshing to watch a movie with two actors who seem to be trying something different, all the while living up to previous expectations. Ted Demme is a solid director, a thought that immediately puts me in the minority. His `Who's The Man?' was a strictly silly romp, but was actually funny. `The Ref' was the critically lauded and sharp black comedy. `Beautiful Girls' is a film that every time I sit down to watch, feels as comfortable as an old cardigan. He's yet to falter in my eyes. I like his attention to detail, and his gift for trusting his actors. `Life' wouldn't work as well as it does without a specific amount of direction and free will. Demme manages to keep the film on track without ever succumbing to an over-reliance on improv. The best scenes in `Life' are the quiet ones: the gay inmate who's release from prison provides a dilemma, the passage of time montage, and Lawrence's moment with the freshly baked pies(which is actually comical, but who's counting?). The film seems like it was longer at one point, but the film on display here really pleased me. I would recommend this film to anybody that has lost faith in Eddie Murphy