Elgar Enders (Beau Bridges) is a trust fund baby who has never really worked. He buys a ghetto tenement house. He plans to evict the tenants and remodel the house in gentrifying Brooklyn. The fish out of water starts to find himself falling for the black neighborhood and its people.
Director Hal Ashby is starting the 70's with a comedic satire about race, wealth, and gentrification. It's got the 70's style. I like the premise. I like the ribbing but it's not that funny despite all the wacky attempts at humor. It's just dated. As a comedy, I struggle to get to a laugh. Like his Being There at the end of the decade, I have a tough time with Ashby's style of social comedy. I appreciate it but he rarely makes me laugh. Harold and Maude is probably the only one.
Director Hal Ashby is starting the 70's with a comedic satire about race, wealth, and gentrification. It's got the 70's style. I like the premise. I like the ribbing but it's not that funny despite all the wacky attempts at humor. It's just dated. As a comedy, I struggle to get to a laugh. Like his Being There at the end of the decade, I have a tough time with Ashby's style of social comedy. I appreciate it but he rarely makes me laugh. Harold and Maude is probably the only one.