Some Kind of Hero
Dir: Michael Pressman
1982
*****
Richard Pryor was a one off. I can't think of any other comedian/actor who could have played the role of Eddie Keller as well as he did. His ability of balancing what is quite a serious and heartbreaking story with humour perfectly still seems impossible but he did it and he did it effortlessly. His portrayal of a prisoner of war is appropriately serious but he also shows the human side, the coping side that gets you through the toughest of times. This is explored beautifully and quite simply by Pryor feeding and talking to a rat that enters his cell once a night, a really lovely scene that I think has been overlooked when discussing great moments in cinema. His reaction to the unfortunate news that awaits him at home upon release looks real, even though you know him and love him as a stand up, you believe he really is that person and in that position. It's quite profound. The film does slip into the sort of comedy we expect from Pryor, absolutely nothing wrong in that, but I would argue that it never effects the overall mood and point of the film. Support from my childhood crush, the lovely Margot Kidder, is perfect and it's interesting to see Ronny Cox in a non-bad guy role such as this for a change. It is also one of my favorite performances from the late Ray Sharkey, an actor i'm convinced would have been a-list had he not died so young. Some Kind of Hero has everything you could want in a film, it's the sort of film that made me fall in love with cinema in the first place and I love it.