“Not a shred of evidence exists in favour of the idea that life is serious.” - Brendan Gill.
“Not a shred of evidence exists in favour of the idea that life is serious.” - Brendan Gill.
Member since:01.06.2004
Reviews:24
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I found this film so funny, that I actually went to the cinema to see it three times!
See No Evil, Hear No Evil was released in 1989 and stars Gene Wilder as Dave Lyons and Richard Pryor as Wally Karue. Dave is deaf and Wally is blind - neither were born this way and both struggle to come to terms with their disabilities. For a long while after he lost his hearing, Dave continued working as an actor, lip reading the other actors and pretending he hadn't lost his hearing. Wally likes to have his independence, won't use a cane, and won't admit that there are some things that he just can't do.
Dave runs a newspaper stand and meets Wally when he applies for a job. The two of them make a good partnership until the day when a customer is shot dead at the counter. Dave (who had his back to the man) Couldn't hear the shot, but sees the body. Wally heard the shot, but can’t see the body. Dave catches a glimpse of a woman leaving the murder scene, while Wally smells a woman. When the police arrive, they are unconvinced with this story and suddenly Wally and Dave are suspects.
The people who actually did the shooting were looking for a gold coin. They can’t find the coin because the man they shot had slipped it into the box with Dave’s paper money - money that Wally puts into his pocket as they are being arrested, unaware of the strange coin.
When his killer’s can’t find it in the murdered man’s briefcase, they realise that Wally and Dave must have it.
Suddenly, Wally and Dave find themselves wanted by the police and the killers, and set out to get the killer's arrested and to clear their names.
Some truly funny moments follow as Wally and Dave (with the help of Wally's sister) bust out of jail and pursue the killers, getting into all kinds of scrapes along the way.
This film is often given bad press for ‘laughing’ at blind and deaf people. While it is true that most of the funny moment do come from Dave's being deaf and Wally's being blind, ultimately, Wally and Dave triumph and despite their obvious disadvantages manage to outrun and outwit both the New York police force and the bad guys. I am sure that if you try hard you could find this film offensive, but equally, you could see it as a feel good movie where the good (Dave and Wally) overcome the bad.
There are some very touching moments in the film as Wally and Dave discuss their disabilities: how they came by them, how other people react to them, and how they deal with them - but other than this, the film is pretty much slapstick comedy from start to finish, and if this is not your cup of tea, then you won't enjoy the film at all.
CAST -------- Richard Pryor - Wally Karue Gene Wilder - Dave Lyons Joan Severance - Eve Kevin Spacey - Kirgo Alan North - Braddock Anthony Zerbe - Sutherland Louis Giambalvo - Gatlin Kirsten Childs - Adele
OTHER STUFF -------------------- Directed by Arthur Hiller Run time 98 minutes Certificate 15 Production Company: Tristar Tagline: "MURDER! The blind guy couldn't see it. The deaf guy couldn't hear it. Now they're both wanted for it." Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor have starred in three other films together - 'Silver Streak' (1976), 'Stir Crazy' (1980) and 'Another You' (1991) Price: £7.99
SUMMARY ---------------- This is quite an old film, and would possibly be slightly dated to anyone seeing it now for the first time - However, I have it on video and still enjoy watching it, so it is impossible for me to do other than recommend this film - particularly if you have only ever seen the hacked to pieces TV version that they trot out occasionally! This is one of the few comedies that actually makes me laugh out loud, I can only hope it does the same for you.
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See No Evil, Hear No Evil
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See No Evil, Hear No Evilis a comedy thriller about disability that teeters perpetually on ... more
the brink of execrable taste, but more often ends up being bland. Brash blind Wally (Richard Pryor) and mild-mannered, cute deaf Dave (Gene Wilder) form a workin...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Meet Wally and Dave. They're as opposite as two buddies can be. Wally (Richard Pryor) is ... more
brash, loud-mouthed and blind. Dave (Gene Wilder) is quiet, mild-mannered and deaf. Both of them are individual disaster zones. But together... they're even worse!...
See No Evil, Hear No Evilis a comedy thriller about disability that teeters perpetually on ... more
the brink of execrable taste, but more often ends up being bland. Brash blind Wally (Richard Pryor) and mild-mannered, cute deaf Dave (Gene Wilder) form a workin...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
![See No Evil, Hear No Evil [DVD] [1989]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78527956.jpg "See No Evil, Hear No Evil [DVD] [1989]")
Aug 30th, 2004
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