Review by Joseph Anthony
GET HARD’s premise is that of a wealthy banker – James King
(Will Farrell) – sentenced to maximum-security prison for fraud. With 30 days
to get his affairs in order before lock-up, he hires the man who washes his car
– Darnell Lewis (Kevin Hart) – to get him prepared for life on the inside.
The entire premise is built on King’s racist assumption that
because Lewis is black, he has been to jail. It’s not subtle, there’s a whole
scene dedicated to the statistics of African American incarceration. But Lewis
has not been to jail, he doesn’t have
so much as a parking ticket on his record. While this is part of a larger plot
to paint King in the most unlikable light possible, it’s worth pointing out
because this entire movie is based on racial biases and pre-conceived notions
about class, race and sexual orientation. But even for two skilled comics,
boundaries are pushed beyond taboo territory and well into tawdry. For
instance, using a trip to a gay bar to prepare for being attacked in prison.
There are too many “don’t drop the soap”-type jokes to recall – even if I
wished to remember.
