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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 9 January 2019

‘The Upside’ is a cliche-ridden, exploitative mess

By MARK KENNEDY minority in white America
Associated Press — but that peters out.
It’s said that January is There’s not enough dra-
one of the prime months ma and yet not enough
that Hollywood chooses to laugh-out-loud moments.
dump its most embarrass- Hart shines in a scene in
ing films and “The Upside” which he encounters a
doesn’t exactly disprove high-tech shower with a
that notion. robot voice in German,
Few films in memory have but a later scene in which
squandered so much act- he cuts Cranston’s facial
ing talent in such a cliche- hair is marred by a Hitler
ridden, exploitative and joke. When you have hired
dishonest way. It deserves consummate comedians
its frozen grave. in Kevin Hart and Bryan
The film stars Kevin Hart as Cranston, relying on a Hitler
a lazy, skirt-chasing ex-con joke is a sign something has
hoping to reconnect with gone horribly wrong. (An-
his estranged wife and other sign: This joke — “You
son. He accidentally gets are Verdi ugly.”) The film
a job taking care of an ob- comes with its own heavy
scenely wealthy New York baggage, including that
businessman who became it was previously owned
a paraplegic while hang by The Weinstein Co., be-
gliding, played by Bryan This image released by STXfilms shows Kevin Hart, left, and Bryan Cranston in a scene from “The fore it collapsed amid the
Cranston. (“You as rich as Upside.” Harvey Weinstein sexual
Jay-Z?” Hart’s character Associated Press misconduct scandal. Re-
asks. “No, richer,” comes of corner-bought weed, start-ups, kumquats and race could have been ad- acquired, it is released as
the reply.) street hot dogs and driving abstract painting? You saw dressed — “Your plantation Hart deals with fallout over
You can virtually write the the older man’s fleet of Fer- that coming, too, huh? is bananas,” Hart’s Dell tells his previous homophobic
rest as “The Upside “ un- raris very fast? Oh, yes. Rich Poor black guys in these Phillip, “but I’m nobody’s tweets, not helped now by
spools. Will Hart’s street-wise white dudes in these films films could always use servant” — however it’s a performance in the film in
Dell break his high-class always need loosening up. some smartening up. quickly dropped. There’s which he balks at using the
boss out of his luxury Park Will Cranston’s Phillip teach Hart often plays a version of also a moment when the word “penis” and initially
Avenue apartment and his young aide about the the magical black man, a two men bond over both outright refuses to change
teach him about the joys joys of opera, investing in hurricane of truth who read- feeling mostly invisible to his boss’ catheter because
justs the stuffy white world. the larger society — one in it means touching another
There are moments when a wheelchair, the other a man’s privates.q

Tom Hanks to present SAG’s lifetime

award to Alan Alda

By JOHN CARUCCI Throughout a career that
Associated Press has spanned seven de-
NEW YORK (AP) — One cades, Alda has appeared
of America’s sweethearts in “The West Wing,” ‘’The
hands the torch to another Aviator” and “Manhat-
when Tom Hanks presents tan Murder History,” but
Alan Alda with a lifetime is perhaps best known
achievement award at the for his role as Hawkeye
upcoming Screen Actors Pierce in the television se-
Guild Award ceremony. ries “”M(asterisk)A(asterisk)
The 82-year-old Alda, a S(asterisk)H.” Alda has won
Golden Globe- and Emmy- six Emmy Awards and was
winner, will become the also nominated for an Os-
55th recipient of the an- In this Oct. 25, 2018 photo, car for Best Supporting
nual award given to an ac- actor Alan Alda poses for a Actor in 2004 for his role in
tor who fosters the “finest portrait in New York. “The Aviator.” Alda has also
ideals of the acting profes- Associated Press been involved in numerous
sion.” Hanks will hand it to gether on the film “Bridge charities and organizations
him in a Jan. 27 ceremony. of Spies,” and Alda said that have supported chil-
“I’m so thrilled that Tom they “have run into each dren’s causes, women’s is-
agreed to that. I had no other casually over the sues and the sciences. The
idea they were even asking years at awards ceremo- latter inspired the formation
him. And it’s so generous of nies and on airplanes and of the Alan Alda Center for
him,” Alda told The Associ- things like that. So, I remem- Communicating Science
ated Press. ber him when he was just a at Stony Brook University in
Alda and Hanks worked to- kid.” New York. q