In dire States
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It coasts along with cameos, broad comedy and knowing callbacks
COMING 2 AMERICA Cert 12 ★★
On Amazon Prime now
Can you think of a joke that was funnier the second time you heard it? Me neither. This disappointing follow-up to Eddie Murphy’s 1988 hit tries to steal a march on its critics with a knowing scene where two characters discuss the current state of American cinema. “It’s all superhero sh** remakes and sequels to films nobody wanted,” says Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler).
It’s a good point well made. If Murphy had to revisit his 80s’ heyday, I’d rather see him doing stand-up movies such as
Delirious instead of revisiting a largely forgettable mainstream comedy.
Coming 2 America falls into the same trap that Ben Stiller did with Zoolander 2. Instead of sweating over crafting fresh gags, the writers coast along with cameo appearances, broad comedy and knowing callbacks to the original.
Here, the culture clash is thrown into reverse. Instead of Murphy’s pampered African prince Akeem searching for true love on the rough streets of New York, it’s the turn of his surprise American son, the street-smart Lavelle, to be the fish out of water when he visits his father’s opulent palace.
A brief trip to Queens allows Murphy and his co-star Arsenio Hall to don prosthetics to reprise their comedy side characters. The film’s funniest and liveliest sequence takes us back to the My-T-Sharp barbershop where the regulars lecture a young client on political correctness.
Wesley Snipes, so good alongside Murphy in 2019’s Dolemite Is My Name, has his moments as a macho African dictator. But these talented comic actors have no business training in nostalgia.
Few people have found the past 12 months easy, but for those living with dementia the pandemic has taken a particularly heavy toll. While a quarter of those who have died of Covid-19 also had dementia, a survey seen exclusively by the Sunday Mirror concluded that lockdown has had a shocking impact on those still living with the disease.
Three quarters of people whose relatives have dementia say they have noticed an increased deterioration in their condition since last March, including additional confusion and memory loss.
Almost 40 per cent say their relatives have suffered an escalation in anxiety, while two thirds of those questioned say they are not receiving sufficient support in dealing with this accelerated decline.
Dr Hester Le Riche, chief executive and founder of health tech brand Tover, which commissioned the study, says: “Whilst the pandemic continues to be a very difficult time for all, mitigating its effects on people with dementia should be a public health priority.
“This group – both those who are in care homes and those who are not – are facing a myriad of unique challenges, including social isolation and limited physical activity every single day.”
Rebecca Corden, 28, from Wirral, Merseyside, is not surprised by the findings. She has seen first hand how lockdown has taken its toll while caring for her mother Susan, 60.
“For the past three-and-a-half years my dad and I have been caring for my mother, who has vascular dementia and early onset Alzheimer’s disease, but she has seen a big decline over the last 12 months,” says Rebecca. “With this disease, things are always going to be headed in one direction, however it definitely seemed to speed up once the pandemic began.”
Rebecca feels the loss of her mother’s social life has significantly impacted her wellbeing.
“Keeping mum entertained throughout lockdown has been incredibly difficult,” she says.
“Over the months she has become more agitated and angrier, or sometimes altogether unresponsive.
“Before this all happened, we would take her to the pub every Thursday for tea with my brother and would usually see her mum and sister there, too.
“She isn’t able to understand why she can’t go anywhere or see her family now.”
But the effects are not just psychological, says Rebecca – being stuck inside has affected her mum’s walking and she can no longer cover more than a few steps on her own.
“Most days we used to take her out for a short dog walk, and she enjoyed us taking
Keeping Mum entertained in lockdown has been incredibly difficult
her to the shops once or twice a week, but most people would not socially distance and it was difficult to manoeuvre her out of their path. Our focus has been keeping her safe, considering her already struggling health and vulnerability to Covid-19.
“Losing mobility and balance is part of the disease and though we do try and keep her as active as we can at home and in the garden, I do feel if her outings hadn’t been taken away it may not have happened as quickly as it did.
“Getting her up and down stairs has become a painstaking task.”
Susan Mitchell, head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, says: “We know that people with dementia have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and this has been a frightening time for them and their families.
“Isolation brought on by lockdown and the need for social distancing have exacerbated an already challenging