Review of Friday (1995) by Harry W — 26 Nov 2014

Being the film that gave acting careers to both Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, Friday sounded like a truly original comedy.

Friday is a very original film because it is such a simple and realistic one. It revolves around two characters dragged into a situation where they owe $200 to a drug dealer whom they have to pay by 10 PM. Instead of going through the ridiculous Hollywood storylines of large proportions, the characters simply consult the limited resources they have. It is one of the most simple storylines in such a commercially successful comedy film in a long time, and it goes to show that a film does not have to be all about story when the characters and the humour anchor it all so well.

The script in Friday feels really organic. While the story contains dramatic subtext about the harsh nature of urban neighbourhoods and small story elements about standing up for oneself under the oppression of violent people, it plays off simply as a small element which doesn't get in the way of the comic nature of the story. Friday has a screenplay which is so well-written that so much of it seems improvised. It is dead on in accuracy with its realistic language and simple story which has plot dynamics which never seem anything short of realistic. Occasionally, the humour of the film interferes with its comic nature, but that just ensures that the story is a legitimate one. It is easily believable and is full of interesting characters who play to both the serious and comic nature of the film cleverly. Director F. Gary Gray takes advantage of his role as director on Friday and brings out the spirit of the script simply because he lets it all develop on its own. His work focuses largely on ensuring that it is a stylish piece, and that occurs successfully because despite a low budget, F. Gary Gray manages to ensure that everything in Friday looks good. The scenery for the film does a strong job of ensuring that the urban neighbourhood setting of the tale comes off as convincing, and it is all captured with stylish cinematography which captures the small scale of the events while also touching upon some stylish techniques during some of the scenes. One prime example is the moment where the main characters get stoned and the cinematography captures the theme of the moment very well. The visual style of the scenes are great because the cinematography zeroes in on the claustrophobic nature of what the characters are experiencing while the stoner element unfolds. The stoner elements of the script cleverly play their way in while the buddy elements and stereotypical African-American comedy elements dominate. The amount of uses of the word Damn in Friday is hilarious, and it never wears then because it always plays off as being appropriate and is delivered in many different ways. It is collectively versatile and it always falls into the correct situations, so Friday cleverly takes advantage of stereotypical African-American language and subverts it to capitalise on it in the context of a consistent path of refreshing dialogue.

And the cast of Friday manage to work the material out of the screenplay incredibly well under the relaxed direction of F. Gary Gray who lets the material all develops on its own.

Chris Tucker's performance in Friday steals the show. The character Smokey is usually the kind of comic relief reserved for a supporting character as the gimmick can only last so long, but with Chris Tucker's utmost charisma he is able to carry the part in the leading role excellently. Chris Tucker's dedication to the role is incredible because his over the top energy carries the film excellently well, and he captures everything in incredible detail. His facial expressions are always perfect and his tone of voice is always spot on, so his physical involvement in the role is great. He says every single line with hilarious energy, and his effort is absolutely unforgettable. Despite Chris Tucker's success in the Rush Hour trilogy, he will never give a greater performance than his leading effort in Friday because it is of Golden Globe calibre. Rarely is an actor in a stoner comedy this dedicated to the part with the only actor to ever do greater than Chris Tucker being James Franco in Pineapple Express, so Friday boasts one of the greatest performances in stoner comedy history. Chris Tucker leads the film flawlessly, and his energy catches on to the cast members around him.

Ice Cube also makes a great lead. While the comedy in his role is more subtle, he develops well over the course of the story and gradually becomes funnier and a stronger character. He makes a compelling character who goes through all the situations in the film with a sense of realism, and when he gets baked he does an excellent job of both conveying his change of status and delivering the laughs. His physical involvement in the part is really strong because he is always tense due to the actual harsh reality of his living situation, and yet he is still able to bring the laughs in. Ice Cube proves himself as a capable comedic foil in Friday, and him and Chris Tucker make an excellent comic duo due to the way they feed off of each other's situations.

Tiny "Zeus" Lister Jr. makes a powerfully antagonistic presence in the film, feeding off his physical presence, his death stare and the quality of his performance. He maintains a sense of real antagonistic darkness in his role which ensures that he delivers a great sense of threat to the film.

Bernie Mac's energy makes him a welcome presence in the film, and John Witherspoon shares some pretty funny scenes with Ice Cube.

So Friday, for better and for worse, is a thoroughly original comedy film with a realistic story, a strong screenplay and a pair of star-making performances from Ice Cube and especially from Chris Tucker.