I don’t know anything about hip hop. I can appreciate the skill involved in the lyrical wordsmithing of rap. As a writer, I know telling a compelling story isn’t easy, and doing so in rhyming couplets is ever more difficult. In spite of my limited hip hop knowledge, I can tell you that the new N.W.A. biopic, “Straight Outta Compton” is a very compelling, enjoyable piece of cinema.
”Straight Outta Compton” tells the story of the rise and fall of N.W.A., focusing on the lives of Easy-E (Jason Mitchell), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins) and Ice Cube (O’shea Jackson, Jr.). The story carries these three from kids jamming in the bedroom to international gangsta rap superstars, while throwing a spotlight on the impact their music had on American culture.
Assisting N.W.A. in their rise is their manager, Jerry Heller (the excellent Paul Giamotti). The trip up is hardly smooth, marred by clashes with prejudiced cops and struggles with Jerry over money. Eventually, divisions form between Easy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, and the band blows itself apart. It’s like an episode of “Behind the Music” with none of the curse words bleeped out.
”Straight Outta Compton” may gloss over some of the more negative aspects of N.W.A.’s career, but it’s still a very engrossing movie. It’s fun to watch the band members work off of one another. There are quite a few laughs, especially early on. When things start going downhill, the film remains gripping.
Primary credit for making this flick work so well has to be given to the cast. Hawkins is great as Dre, a guy under considerable pressure to find success as a D.J. Jackson is impressive as Cube, portraying him as an introspective street poet. I wonder how much of the credit goes to the fact that he’s the real Ice Cube’s son.
The revelation here is Mitchell. Easy-E serves as the emotional heart of the movie and he’s extremely effective. He has a breakdown toward the end of the movie that just tears your heart into ribbons. It’s a truly excellent performance.
Director F. Gary Gray uses a lot of handheld camera to enhance the reality of the scenes and put us right in the middle of N.W.A.’s writing sessions and dramatic moments. He doesn’t do a lot of fancy tricks, letting his actors bring the frame to life. I wonder how much of the dialogue was scripted and how much was improvised because it felt absolutely natural. There was never a moment where I felt I was watching something somebody else had written.
”Straight Outta Compton” isn’t perfect. It does drag a little in the last hour. Some characters feel like cardboard cut-outs. The cops seem especially, impossibly evil. (Then I again, I didn’t experience these events, so I can’t know it wasn’t that way.) DJ Yella and MC Ren, the two other members of N.W.A., get treated a bit like second-stringers stuck on the sideline. Still, I have to say I enjoyed seeing Aldis Hodge, who play “VooDoo” Tatum in “Friday Night Lights” and killed Sam Winchester in season 2 of “Supernatural,” throwing down on the big screen.
I loved “Straight Outta Compton.” For a fat white guy from the middle of nowhere in Idaho, watching this movie almost felt like visiting an alien planet. More than that, this film features likable characters experiencing a fascinating journey through life and fame. Biopics don’t get any more enjoyable. If you’re tired of summer superheroes and sequels or want to see a story about unlikely heroes who somehow changed American culture, check this movie out!
4 Indy Fedoras out of 5
MPAA Rating: R
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