Spikeopath Jimmy Dworski {James Belushi} has two days to go before his release from prison {he's a car thief you see}. Upon hearing a contest on the radio to win two tickets to see the Chicago Cubs in the World Series, he promptly phones in a wins the tickets. But after unsuccessfully haggling with the vengeful warden {Hector Elizondo} for early release, Jimmy breaks out of the big house and stumbles upon the treasured Filofax of advertisement executive Spencer Barnes {Charles Grodin}. As Spencer stumbles around a broken man without his Filofax, Jimmy starts to live the high life as Spencer Barnes.Well it's not really an out and out buddy movie till the last quarter, something that some writers have failed to mention. The preceding three quarters of the film follows the two role switch protagonists as they go about their merry/miserable ways respectively. Sounds like Trading Places eh? Well yes, that's because it is really. Here in lies the problem with Taking Care Of Business {AKA Filofax}, it's been done far better before and director Arthur Hiller and writers Jill Mazursky/J.J. Abrams either hadn't the nous, or the need, to at least instill some much needed deviation from the formula of such movies. So in the pantheon of role swap comedies, Taking Care Of Business is pretty much little league. So with that in mind it's something of an unexpected surprise to find it's actually very likable, thanks to the spirited turns offered up by Belushi & Grodin.Belushi here was on the back of buddy buddy comedies Red Heat & K-9, which, like or loath them? Garnered a cult fan base and showed Belushi to have an appealing comedic charm that people could warm too. Grodin had done the quite excellent Midnight Run with Robert DeNiro three years earlier, so both men were in familiar territory and both deliver entertaining contrasts of character. Belushi does his street wise child in a mans body act whilst Grodin lays on the softly spoken, anal whiner for maximum impact. The result of which just about stops the uninspired script from sinking the movie. Anne De Salvo, Loryn Locklin, Stephen Elliott, Veronica Hamel & Mako are in support, with Locklin not only providing a truly sexy moment, but also playing off Belushi's ebullience rather well.With some nice gags, genuinely funny scenes, and its two enjoyable leads, Taking Care Of Business is just about worth giving your time to. But any expectation of a new and interesting slant on the Prince And The Pauper theme will only end up in crushing disappointment. 6/10

lastliberal No football this weekend, so what are you going to do? I didn't feel like driving an hour to see a flick on the big screen, so I scoped out this little comedy. I am certainly glad i did because it had the right combination of stars to make it really funny.James Belushi was perfect as the con out of water looking to see the Cubs in the World series. he looks like a con and really carried the film as someone who was just stumbling through impersonation another.That other was Charles Grodin, the perfect person to play a tight-assed executive who was more in need of a blow-job than anyone I know.Add a wacky Anne De Salvo, Hector Elizondo as a perfect warden, and Mako, and you have the makings of a good movie. A quick peek at Loryn Locklin, and I do mean quick despite the movie;'s "R" rating, and it's all good.It all worked out great in the end as you would expect.Check it out.

mattymatt4ever When I first watched this movie, I laughed and laughed and laughed! I was dying! Yes, it's a silly comedy that mostly depends on slapstick, but it works. The plot becomes more implausible by the minute, but with a film as fast-paced and funny as this, you tend to overlook all those flaws. Unless...it's your second viewing. Some comedies are incredibly funny on the first viewing, and are almost as--if not just as--funny on all the following viewings. You even start to laugh at jokes you didn't get the first time around. And there are comedies that are incredibly funny on the first viewing, but the laughs decrease on all the following viewings. Unfortunately, "Taking Care of Business" is an example of the latter. And as the laughs decrease, I felt more obligated to observe the plot. Though it succeeds in delivering big-time laughs, "TCOB" is a shallow farce that doesn't know when to quit. James Belushi is the main saving grace. Comic talent and energy obviously runs in the family (his brother, the late John Belushi) and he's doing a terrific job at carrying on the Belushi name. His starring roles in little-known films haven't given him the opportunity to show off his knack for comedy, but every once in a while he steals the show, one of which was his supporting role in the underrated romantic comedy "Return to Me." Jim's an underrated talent, who has an amazing comic energy--without being obnoxious--and I hope to see him in more and more comedies. Charles Grodin is amusingly deadpan. Then again, portraying his stuck-up character wasn't much of a stretch. But towards the film's conclusion, he shows off his more outrageous side and he's quite good. That blonde chick who plays Belushi's love interest is an absolute knockout! I didn't get her name, but I hope to see her more often. Despite its flaws, I can't completely downgrade a film that made me laugh hysterically the first time. Sure, you won't like it as much the second time, but who said you have to watch it a second time? Just watch it once and indulge! Plus, it has that great title song!My score: 7 (out of 10)

mjp.carino-2 Brilliant movie -especially good as a pick-me-up when you're feeling down. In the 'old days' this film was known as Filofax. Comes highly recommended and in my opinion is one of Belushi's best films. If you're a die hard Star Trek fan, then look out for some of the faces that appear these days in <Star Trek Voyager> and <Star Trek The Next Generation>. I've spotted three, though there could be more -BTW, one of them is really difficult to recognize, despite being one of the main characters -to help you -it's one of the women... ENJO