The comedic verve of Lenny Henry has flourished on both stage and television over 35 years for one of Britain's most loved entertainment personalities. However Dudley's finest son has never managed to translate his talent on to the big screen with much success. One of Lenworth's few attempts to break into Hollywood came in the 1991 release True Identity.
True Identity is a Comedy/Crime effort that owes much of it's scope and design to Beverly Hills Cop (1984), which will generate comparisons for those who have seen White Chicks (2004). Henry plays a struggling actor who involuntarily ends up on the Hit List of a want away Mafia crime boss played expertly by Frank Langella. To avoid assassination Henry utilises the make-up prowess of a neighbour to turn himself into a white man, whilst teaming up with burned out FBI agent Houston (JT Walsh).
Lets get something True Identity isn't the greatest work you'll ever see, but somehow the film kind of pulls off something worth watching, Henry's talent is obvious and with help from the supporting cast manages to get mileage out of the gags that do work, and the film delivers it's message while hovering around some potentially sensitive themes without ever taking itself too seriously.
