Trading Places (1983)
 An executive and a con man figure in a plan by two tycoons to
determine whether heredity or environment makes the man. In a one
dollar bet about heredity vs. environment, however, the two old
millionaires decided to reverse the situation of the two men.
Eddie Murphy is Billy Ray Valentine - a glib street hustler who
switches roles with Louis Winthorpe III, a prissy, stuffed-shirt
commodities trader (Aykroyd).
Faster than a speeding Metroliner, the old tycoons have Billy
Ray blissed out in an $80,000-a-year executive job replete with
Winthorpe's luxury town house, mile-long limo and personal
butler.
Simultaneously, they strip Winthorpe of his elegant clothes,
frame him for embezzlement, jail him for dealing drugs, freeze his
bank accounts, and cancel his credit cards.
Billy Ray turns out to be a smash selling pork bellies on the
stock market, while poor Winthorpe sinks so low even mongrels
relieve themselves on his leg, confusing him with a fire hydrant.
Finally the hardworking, loyal executive-turned-bum and the
hopeless psychopath turned Wall Street whiz kid both realise
they're both puppets victimised by the bilious tycoons who are
pulling their strings.
Then it's full speed ahead as the two pool their talents, their
education in the school of hard knocks, and their thirst for
revenge, and turn the tables on Bellamy and Ameche.
Aided by grand British actor Denholm Elliott, as the bewildered
but good-natured butler, and a sleek Jamie Lee Curtis, in the best
role of her career as a tough whore with a pure heart, Aykroyd and
Murphy learn who their real friends are and stage their final
showdown on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
This sharp, screwball comedy is hilarious. Eddie Murphy
demonstrates extraordinary comic talent and he runs away with many
of the scenes. Ralph Bellemy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliott, and the
very very sexy Jamie Lee Curtis stand out in supporting roles.
Nobody takes this much care over a mainstream comedy film any
more!
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