The minute I saw the name Francis Ford Coppola in the "directed by" I thought to myself: this is ought to be good. Maybe my expectations got a little high because of that but I couldn't thoroughly enjoy the movie.
"The Cotton Club" consists of two kinds of actors - those who act their hearts out and those who are just there. Richard Gere's character is sadly one of the latter. His name is the first to appear on the screen but throughout the whole movie he doesn't show any specific reasons why; he doesn't lead the movie, the plot doesn't fully revolve around him and he does nothing to move the plot either. And about the plot - where is one? What was the idea of the movie? You showed us America in its late 20s and early 30s, good colorful picture, brilliant music, beautifully choreographed dance numbers, terrific performance of the duo of Bob Hoskins and Fred Gwynne, but also the thinnest plot that Mr Coppola had to offer. Pretty much every character is cartoonish and has no development whatsover. Disappointed.
I'll tell you this - if you want to see a movie filled with jazz music, mobsters and the scent of the 1920s you'll love this one. And me? I'll look for something more meaningful than a nice picture.
Review of The Cotton Club
