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Nothing To Lose (1997)



Nothing To Lose (1997)



6/10



Starring
Martin Lawrence
Tim Robbins


Directed by Steve Oedekerk

No matter what critics may say, Nothing to Lose is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen. I stand by the belief that this movie has been overlooked and hasn’t been given the well-deserved recognition it should get. The pair was so mismatched that it just oozes funny. The dialogue and scenes were well-crafted to pull out the thrill and laughter in you, so much so that by the end of the movie, you can’t help but think back and laugh.

The movie can be said to play on stereotypes of color or race. Martin Lawrence plays Terrence, a typical black man who’s finding it hard to cope and keep up with life, while his co-lead, Tim Robbins, plays Nick, a typical white man with everything in his life going right.

What led to these two meeting was Nick coming home to find people having sex in his bed. He looks and sees only the woman’s back, believing it’s his wife. Devastated, he leaves the house without saying a word to her.

On his way out, he finds his boss’s cufflinks on the table and immediately puts two and two together: his boss is sleeping with his wife.

He leaves home, driving to no place in particular, and ends up in a black neighborhood where Terrence pulls a gun on him, demanding his wallet and car keys. Nick, not in the mood, drives off with Terrence in the car, acting so crazy that Terrence starts begging him, apologizing for trying to rob him.

In the end, both find themselves in the desert and become friends as Nick plans to get back at his boss by robbing him.

The acting, to me, was top-notch, and this is the only time I’ve ever felt Martin Lawrence’s over-the-top acting style was impressive and funny. Tim Robbins (Shawshank Redemption (1994)) also stands out as his character deals with the problem of adultery—a role I felt he did well.

Although I find this movie funny and quite interesting, it didn’t make enough at the box office. However, the movie’s soundtrack was well-received and certified gold. The song "Not Tonight" by Lil' Kim, featuring Left Eye, Da Brat, Angie Martinez, and Missy Elliott, was the most popular and gained major airplay on TV and radio stations.

However you may want to look at it, Nothing to Lose is a good movie—one that many should watch and decide for themselves whether it’s good or not. But for me, it’s a well-constructed and well-crafted comedy that everyone should see.

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