A Piece of the Action

This was the last pairing of Cosby and Poitier in 1977 and watching it, you can easily see where Quentin Tarantino and a lot of other young filmmakers get ideas for plotting, pacing and musical backdrops. The most refreshing thing about the film is that it manages to deliver a message about empowering today's youth without beating you over the head with it's preachiness. Brilliantly scored by the late, great Curtis Mayfield and featuring contributions from The Staple Singers, "A Piece..." perfectly encapsulates it's time without sinking to the depths of 'Blaxploitation' and buffoonery. The terrific all-star cast includes James Earl Jones, the impossibly gorgeous Denise Nicholas matched only by the lovely Tracy Reed, a very young Sheryl Lee Ralph and the soon- to- be- a- star-via-"What's Happening!", Ernest Thomas. One scene is of particular note: one of the youngsters involved in the job search program, Willie, delivers a powerful, tear-filled monologue about why he has to find a job 'or something, so that he can be a man' that just breaks my heart and lends the film an air of poignance that elevates it above the level of simple comedy. With that said, "A Piece Of The Action" is an all time favorite that contains elements of drama, action & suspense

Run Time: 2Hrs 25Mins
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