I thought the film was brilliant. First, it was all about the music of Harlem in the 1930s. It showcased its songs, dancing and the stars. The secondary theme centered around the gangsters. You weren’t supposed to expect great drama, although Bob Hoskins was especially enjoyable in his role. It was a crazy time of glamour and violence, but it was the music that fed the subplots and, ultimately, tied everything together. In short, if you dug the music, you dug the film. Richard Gere played a fine cornet, by the way.

The dancing was outstanding. However, the story, direction, and especially the acting was terrible. Richard Gere was miscast as the cornet blowing, good-looking, "Mob Boss." He performed with his usual, high-energy nervous tics. The rest of the cast look as though they were rehearsing instead of acting. They all made illogical decisions all through the movie. This had potential, but it was unfocused and poorly staged.

Atmospheric, 30s-adjacent, and endlessly entertaining. Gregory Hines displays underrated acting ability that builds on his incomparable dancing skills. Coppola's most overlooked directing achievement?

Very well made. Coppola's direction was great. The music was amazing. Tim Treakle

I agree with Sikel and Ebert on this one... It an interesting good movie, all the way around, in a classic kind of a way. It's not for everyone... I do.

On rewatching after thirty plus years I was reminded that this is the movie equivalent of jock itch. I need powder.

This is quite a stylish watch - its dark and gritty, with a bit of a film noir feel to it, although its obviously in colour but its very much gangster centered, with some scenes taking place in really quite literally dark conditions, which make it a little hard to ascertain exactly whats going on. Needless to say, there's a fair amount of violence present - bloody violence. There is, as you may expect, quite a lot of jazz music present, as we see the various performers who played sets in the titular club, including those by non-whites and indeed I felt sympathy towards those artists who had issues being allowed in to the club, where their invited to perform, considering their not allowed to enter as a paying customer. I noticed the irony of the name of the club and what it represents to non-Whites (i.e. slavery). The musical sets feature some reasonably slick choreography and reminded me a bit of the film Cabaret I suppose. Also needless to say, there is some moderately strong language present, including numerous instances of racial slurs. This film is set in the late 1920s, so racism is very much rife and this film certainly doesn't shy away from that. There are also some slurs towards Jews (anti-semitism?) by the local gangsters. Acting wise, I found it interesting seeing Richard Gere and Nicolas Cage playing characters in this film. Richard Gere certainly looks very fresh faced in his role as Dixie Dwyer. Also present is Bob Hoskins, who makes me think of Roger Rabbit since that film must have been made only a few years later I suppose, although that film is certainly more family friendly than The Cotton Club. Overall I enjoyed this film and I would recommend it to others.

I loved the great dancing, showmanship. Storyline ok. The dancing made it for me. Richard Gere was an excellent musician.

In my opinion, on par with anything else from FFC. Superb.

This movie got some decent critical acclaim back in 1984. Roger Ebert gives this movie 4/4. I'm not sure what he saw that I missed. I see some bad acting by James Remar, Richard Gere and Nicolas Cage. They play over-the-top "gangsters". Thank god Bob Hoskins and Fred Gwyne were in this because they save the movie from being a complete loss. A young Diane Lane looks beautiful and fits in her role very nicely. Gregory Hines is a dancing fool that will help keep your mind off of the average story.

Francis Ford Coppola's reminiscence of razzle-dazzle pizzazz and mob violence at the titular famed jazz-era nightclub is an incandescent furor of disjointed stories and sketchy characters.

There was little character or plot beyond the superficial.

Saw the encore cut and yet the film is just Hollywood popcorn with plenty of stale butter. It lacks focus, perspective and it’s completely disconnected, especially for 1984. (Gandhi won an Oscar the year it was made.) It fully condones black exploitation for the sake of entertainment just as those good old days (that is if you were white and owned a plantation). The title itself is absurd even if it was the actual name of the club. A ‘Roger Rabbit’ lie, a white-man mystification of events, the past and history. A bs fantasy-land of tommy gun gangsters and smoky jazz clubs. Hard to sit through the meaningless plot and listen to Richard Gere talk with a Brooklyn accent. At least some of the talented ‘extras’, performers and costume designers got paid. ‘Stormy Weather’ should have opened the movie since it’s the best act and everything before could have been edited out. Diane Lane is the only good white actor in it to deliver a charming performance. A huge out-of-touch misfire even when it came out. Oh yeah ‘the jitterbug dance’ of course, and Nicolas Cage Coppola, I almost forgot. Let’s all tap dance back to the car now and drop the dvd into the library box.

A lost gem, Francis Coppolas understated and smooth direction really lets its stylish and up and coming cast sparkle amidst the prohibition era jazz. The whole film never goes off into the deep end and never loses its grip on reality. Its criminally underrated, worth critics turning around on.

Great movie My favorite

Nonstop stories which flowed effortlessly throughout the movie.

A delight of vintage costuming and sets. Great performances in particular by Gregory Hines and Lonette McKee.

One of the best in recent years,

Sometimes you think why am I fucking watching this film? Nicolas Cage was okay for his debut years, but he became even better after this film obviously.

You meet a gun with a gun. The Cotton Club was an upscale jazz club in Harlem with an array of different types of guest, but primarily white figures. The club is owned by a black man but he struggles with the ability to run a profitable club if he allows too many of his own culture into the club. The movie follows the lives of those who visited the club. "I ought to cut out your brain and pickle it." Francis Ford Coppola, director of Apocalypse Now, The God Father 1-3, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Rumble Fish, Dementia 13, Jack, and The Rainmaker, delivers Cotton Club. The storyline for this picture is just okay and a bit flat. The characters were only so interesting and the acting was average. The cast includes Richard Gere, Gregory Hines, Diane Lane, Bob Hoskins, Nicolas Cage, James Remar, and Laurence Fishburne. "The kid can't act." I came across this film on HBOGO and thought it sounded interesting and would be a cool 30s New York nightlife picture. It was just okay. There were some okay subplots, but nothing that blows your skirt up. I'd give this a C and not consider this a must see. "Shake fucking hands." Grade: C