Nothing to Lose (Widescreen)

 

 

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Nick (Tim Robbins) is a disgruntled ad executive who realizes that his wife is cheating on him with Phil (Nick's boss). While in a state of shock, he falls prey to an inept carjacker named Terrance (Martin Lawrence). They bicker and fight for a while. Then they both agree to rob Phil. Then they become friends. How could two guys that intensely hate each other suddenly become friends? It seemed to happen the moment Nick hatched the plan to rob Phil. Ah yes, there's nothing like conspiring to commit criminal acts to forge an unshakeable friendship. But I really liked the twist of how the carjacker is the one that ends up getting kidnapped by the owner of the car.

This movie was excellent until Terrance and Nick became friends. The rest of the movie sucks. We find out that Terrance only robs people because he NEEDS to, not because he wants to. That's too bad, because I would've preferred it if Terrance enjoyed it. He's married, lives with an annoying mother, and has a bunch of kids. They live in poverty. Terrance says he can't get a decent enough job to provide for his family, so he commits robberies to make ends meet. Then Nick sees all kinds of rejection letters Terrance got from different universities, or trade schools, I can't exactly remember. Anyway, Nick feels sorry for Terrance. But wasn't this movie supposed to be a comedy? What's so funny about a guy that robs people because he's desperate and trying to provide for his family? I suppose it's funny that Terrance would prefer to risk imprisonment rather than getting a minimum wage job. Like it or not, Terrance would have a much harder time providing for his family if he was in prison. Did Terrance ever think of that? Is that the joke this movie was going for? I doubt it.

If Terrance's family are dirt poor, then how is it that they can afford to live in such a classy apartment? From the way Terrance was whining, I was expecting his apartment to be rundown and roach infested. No matter how many convenience stores he ever managed to knock over, there's no way he could afford that place. And after committing so many robberies, the police would have caught him long ago. Or are the cops too incompetent to catch someone like Terrance? As for his wife and mother, there's one word that springs to mind when I think of them - GREED. They talk the talk, often scolding Terrance for not getting a job. But do the filmmakers actually expect us to believe that Terrance's family have NO CLUE WHATSOEVER that he robs people? Or does his family pretend they don't know where the money is coming from? If so, they're expressing tacit consent of Terrance's thieving by continuing to live off of his ill-gotten gains. If they actually disapproved of Terrance, they would take the kids and move out. Perhaps they know that if Terrance stopped robbing convenience stores around the clock, they would have to live in a dump unless he got a real classy job. And they know that won't ever happen.

The lowest point of the movie is when Nick is on the phone with his wife, and makes a shocking discovery. That phone conversation completely kills whatever light-hearted and comedic atmosphere this movie had left. Then those two clowns do some REALLY stupid stuff. And they somehow manage to carry out their lamebrained scheme successfully!

This could have been a five star movie if a few changes were made. I would have liked to see these two guys share a mutual hatred of each other for the entire movie. Despite this mutual hatred, Nick plans on not only robbing his boss, but KILLING him as well. Nick asks Terrance to help him do it. Terrance says he only robs people because he needs to provide for his family. They end up at Terrance's apartment to go over the details of the robbery/murder. And it turns out that the apartment is a rundown place, and Terrance's family lives in dire poverty. But then it turns out that Terrance is a multimillionaire with a real antisocial streak who goes on joyrides and robs convenience stores for the sheer pleasure of it. Terrance lives in a huge mansion by himself, but he won't let his family set foot in his mansion - he forces them to live in the ramshackle apartment. Near the end of the movie, Nick attacks and nearly kills Terrance when he finds out it was Terrance that was sleeping with his wife. Then Nick and Terrance end up on death row. And why would they get the death sentence? For murdering both of their wives of course! Now THAT is the way they should have made this movie. It would still be a really stupid and completely improbable movie, but it would at least be FUNNY and ENTERTAINING, unlike this movie.

If you've ever seen Bull Durham or Bob Roberts, you'll know that Tim Robbins has a real talent for comedy. So does Martin Lawrence (who always ends up in crappy movies). It's a shame they didn't get to star in a better movie together. Michael McKean plays Phil. I saw McKean in a few X-Files episodes before, and he's hilarious. After seeing John C. McGinley in Platoon and Office Space, I never would have thought he could play the part of a character like Davis. McGinley does it brilliantly. A talented cast stuck in a lousy movie.

Did the filmmakers intend for Terrance and Nick to be sympathetic characters? Yes they did. But those two guys are villains. Criminals. They deserve imprisonment, not our sympathy.

I'm a fan of Tim Robbins. I saw this at the movies and just had to have it in DVD. The story is a typical buddy film but the chemistry between Robbins and Martin Lawrrence was priceless. The funniest line from Robbins in response to the real spider crawling on his head was, "I'm not up on all this jive talkin' homeboy lingo". This is a must see!

This movie is basically an odd couple comedy. ONe man, Nick, is a successful white busines man and the other, T for Terrance, is a down on his luck black man. Not the most original set-up.

The plot starts of with Nick coming home only to spy his wife having sex with his boss (played by Michael McKean of Spinal Tap fame). He walks out of his house in a daze and just starts driving the streets of L.A. He come to a bad part of town, rap music now plays in the background, and is mugged in his car by T.

Well, the mugging doesn't go as planned. Nick maces T and keeps driving. They get all the way to the desert in remote Arizona.

From here on the rob together, fight, and meet up with another mixed crime spree couple. They get to know each each other and there are some fairly touching moments as they understand each other's background. You'll have to see the movie to see how it all ends.

I thought the movie plot was fair but a bit contrived as a vehicle for Martin's screwball antics. Fans of Martin should enjoy this flick. Also look for the clear-faced ex-Oxy spokes-girl Rebecca Gayheart.

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4.0 out of 5 stars From Bad To Worse
In "Nothing To Lose" Nick Beam (Tim Robbins), a white executive from the suburbs of Los Angeles, is having a really bad day. Read more

Published on Aug 24 2003 by SuziQ

4.0 out of 5 stars MARTIN AT HIS BEST
IN THIS MOVIE, A MAN [TIM ROBBINS] DISCOVERS HIS WIFE CHEATING, THEN TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, HE GETS CARJACKED BY A THIEF [MARTIN LAWRENCE] THEN HE JUST LOSES HIS MIND. Read more

Published on Aug 1 2003 by MICHAEL TAYLOR

4.0 out of 5 stars How much more could go wrong in one day
Nothing to Lose (1997) has a running time of 97 minutes. Released by Touchstone Pictures with Steve Oedekerk director. Starring Martin Lawerence ( T. Read more

Published on July 30 2003 by justln

1.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Stuid
If I could give this movie a negative 5, that would be generous. This ranks as the absolutely worst movie I have ever seen. Read more

Published on July 8 2003 by Gary L. Thomas

4.0 out of 5 stars WIDESCREEN???
This is a letterboxed 4:3 image. Am I wrong?

Published on April 16 2003 by Bruce Goldstein

5.0 out of 5 stars One Funny Movie
This is one funny movie. I seen this movie about 10,000 times. Its soo funny and worth watching. If u havent seen this movie then u should go out and see it. Read more

Published on Feb 15 2003 by Erica

2.0 out of 5 stars Too much to lose
Stupid movie nothing but funny-title should but "a rich white guy's revenge"

Published on Jan 26 2003 by Wei Cheng

5.0 out of 5 stars The funniest movie I have ever seen!
This movie is my favorite comedy. No matter how many times I watch it I still laugh out loud with tears in my eyes!!

Published on July 12 2002 by June

5.0 out of 5 stars SO FUNNY!!!
I LOVED THIS MOVIE BECAUSE IT WAS SOOO FUNNY!!! I THOUGHT THIS MOVIE WAS REALLY GOOD! TIM ROBBINS AND MARTIN LAWRENCE DID REALLY GREAT IN THIS MOVIE! Read more

Published on Jun 22 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Something to Lose
This is what it will be if you don't see this movie. Not for kids,but outrageously funny for adults. Tim and Martin are a
good team. I really enjoyed this one:)

Published on Mar 9 2002 by A. McCusker

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