Review of See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) by Harry W — 10 Mar 2014

While I hadn't been too impressed with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder's team efforts so far, they still had such a vibrant energy to them, and everybody kept telling me that See No Evil, Hear No Evil was one of the funniest.

It definitely has a higher quantity of entertainment value to it, because even on the surface See No Evil, Hear No Evil seemed really funny due to the premise and the context of its two lead characters being deaf and blind as well as getting involved in a murder case somehow. And unlike in their final collaboration titled Another You, the premise was good and well executed while in contrast to Stir Crazy the humour was a lot more consistent. There is a lot of comedic opportunity that comes with See No Evil, Hear No Evil, and luckily enough thanks to a fairly hilarious story and a decent if inconsistent script thanks to a team of clever writers, See No Evil, Hear No Evil is a film ripe with a lot of comedic opportunity which director Arthur Hiller manages to seize so that it proves hilarious. Critics seem to disagree, but I think that See No Evil, Hear No Evil should be reappraised because audience today seem to love it and I don't blame them for it.

While the story isn't that original, the writing behind the two lead characters is great because the entire concept of a deaf man and a blind man somehow stuck together in a murder case is a very original idea. The requirement for it to work is a talented cast, and it has that already so it is set up to succeed. I found myself laughing at See No Evil, Hear No Evil a hell of a lot because of its physical humour and script moments. It is a very underrated piece from director Arthur Hiller and has quality streets ahead or his 7-time Academy Award nominated craptrap Love Story.

And thanks to a lot of fine cinematography and well-timed editing it succeeds as a visual experience which is ironic since one of the protagonists is deaf. What is also ironic is that one protagonist is blind and yet the musical score is an effective one which has a real 1980's feel to it and exhibits a grip on the mood of the sequences it plays out in. I can say that the entire film was thoroughly funny enough and well-paced consistently over the entire running time of the feature and that its reliance on visual gags never came up short because of the dedicated performance from the cast who prove to be at some of their funniest in See No Evil, Hear No Evil.

Richard Pryor is absolutely hilarious in See No Evil, Hear No Evil. As his comedic talent is strongly known on the basis of his over-the-top nature which stereotypes the "angry black man" persona. So in See No Evil, Hear No Evil when he tones it down slightly so that he keeps it there but combines it with his talent for slapstick humour, it comes out as utterly hilarious. His character is both friendly and dominating which makes him a good protagonist, and his comedically dedicated line delivery is swift and effective. His performance also succeeds because he is thoroughly convincing at playing a blind person without ever having to put sunglasses on to block the audience's view of his visionary path, so he succeeds from many angles.

Gene Wilder does the same thing because as well as succeeding as convincing audiences that his character Dave Lyons is deaf, his line delivery is rich with the exact same comedic skill that earned him a legacy and an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Producers. His line delivery has the same dedicated ferocity that audiences worldwide also saw in the cult classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and he puts that into his frail physicality to make him come off as a powerful character which opposes how he may look considering his age. Gene Wilder makes a great presence in See No Evil, Hear No Evil both in terms of physical humour and comedic dialogue.

And the chemistry between the two lead actors is hilarious. However a deaf and blind man actually succeed at being able to share a relationship is an absolute mystery which is answered by See No Evil, Hear No Evil. The two comedic legends go at it with their absolute all and bring the weird relationship to life by making a hilarious duo who deals with conflict as well as teaming up to pack a punch, literally and figuratively. Only the duo of them could actually ensure that such a ridiculously comedy succeeds so well.

Kevin Spacey is good to see in a much younger role since he is one of the finest actors of his generation and much admired today for his dedication to his skilled performances which have scored him Two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor. And it's no surprise that his performance in See No Evil, Hear No Evil is an effective one. He's always had a knack for playing villains like in The Usual Suspects or Superman Returns. So to see him playing a more comedically oriented villain in See No Evil, Hear No Evil is interesting. And frankly there isn't a moment that he fails to succeed in See No Evil, Hear No Evil and so it's just refreshing to see him go at it in his youth and succeed so hilariously.

So regardless of what critics may say, See No Evil, Hear No Evil is a hilarious comedy combining the dynamic duo of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor at some of their best as a team, and it ensures that it takes maximum advantage of them as well as the plot and the potential humour making it come out shining as a hilarious buddy comedy with a lot of zany plot dynamics.