ANOTHER YOU - REVIEW

After the success of their previous collaborations, Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder reunited in Another You, a comedy from 1991 in which a small-time con man befriends a pathological liar before they both find themselves in the middle of a large-scale con.

Their last feature together or apart, Another You is something of a bittersweet creation since it not only flopped at the box-office but Pryor had already been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and you can tell he's not at his healthiest in the film. That said, both he and Wilder make a terrific team once again and look like they're having a good time throughout. The actors' usual dynamic is changed a little here as Gene Wilder plays the wackier role and Pryor is the straight man. We first meet the former in a mental institution as he attempts to shake off his bad habit of constantly lying and not being able to stop. Eddie (Pryor), meanwhile, is tasked with taking George (Wilder) out for walks as part of his community service but when the latter is mistaken for a millionaire and promised a lot of money, they both find themselves following this strange path.

It's a clever premise and the leads, including Mercedes Ruehl's spunky actress and Stephen Lang's slimy villain, do a great job with this wacky set-up which lends itself to some genuinely funny moments. Wilder's sudden outbursts are a lot of fun and Pryor gets a lot of great one-liners. The whole thing is pretty random and the plot isn't exactly realistic with the third act feeling a bit messier than it needed to be but overall, it doesn't really need to make that much sense as long as it's enjoyable and it is. Whether it's an impromptu yodelling session, Kevin Pollak showing off his goofy impressions or Wilder and Pryor feeding each other's lies, there's always something entertaining going on in this movie and, ultimately, it's a tough one to dislike.

While not quite as sharply written as See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Another You remains a fun, very amusing movie which reminds us how good of a comedy duo Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor were. One wishes the film had been more successful since it's a very charming and likeable effort.

Underrated.