He is 42 years old and no longer a youngster, yet “An armchair for two” is one of those films cult that cannot be missed at Christmas. Like “Pretty Woman” or “Gentleman officer“, the film directed by John Landis enters loops, but in its own right, in the annual TV programming. In fact, it has been on the billboard since 1997 and everyone sees it constantly.
“An Armchair for Two”, 1983, is not only a light comedy that is worth seeing if only for Eddie Murphy’s laughter, but also a warning to understand that the value of feelings and humility must always come first.
The plot revisits the novel in a modern key.”The prince and the pauper” by Mark Twain, with a reversal of roles between the two protagonists, Louis Winthorpe III (played by Dan Aykroyd) and Billie Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy): the first is a rich stockbroker, the second a beggar who lives by his wits at the limits of legality.
Winthorpe’s employers, the brothers Mortimer and Randolph Duke, plot a cruel exchange of the lives of the two protagonists, betting a dollar on the possibility that Valentine can successfully take Winthorpe’s place at the top of Duke & Duke.
In short, they subject them to a subtle game of slaughter which, however, turns out to be the winning key to the birth of a solid friendship that goes beyond any malice. What does “An Armchair for Two” teach us? That it is not the social state that dictates the laws of bonds and affections and that above all union provides strength against something that tends to crush us.
In short, only with collaboration and mutual trust can abuse and oppression be overcome, beyond any prejudice that pollutes our minds.
Where to see it
The film will be broadcast on December 24, in prime time (at 9.20pm) on Italia 1. But for those who want to see it in streaming it is available on Paramount+ or with a premium subscription on NOW TV, Prime Video and Apple TV+.
