Straight Outta Compton (2015) Review
It has been a long time since I wrote a review. I apologize
for that. I admit I got a bit burned out and stepped away from writing all
together. I'm now back to doing what I first loved. Writing. Reviewing. Sharing
my thoughts on films I see. All I can really say now is, I'm glad I'm back.
Set in the mid-to-late 1980’s, Straight
Outta Compton tells the story of rap group N.W.A.
The title of the film is the same as their debut album, which has frequently
been called one of the best rap albums ever made. I've listened to it multiple
times and its brutality is only matched by its brilliance. Unfortunately, much
of the film lacks the punch that the album has. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a
decent film at times. It's your basic biopic and can’t help but drop into those
clichés we’ve all seen in countless other biopics, except there are more scenes
when it doesn't do that than scenes where it does. There are those few shining moments.
The
original members of the group are Ice Cube (played by the real Ice Cube's son,
O'Shea Jackson Jr.), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), DJ Yella
(Neil Brown Jr.), and MC Ren (Aldis Hodge). Each one of them (as stated in the
film) grew up in Compton, Los Angeles. Each has various goals and ideas of what
they want to accomplish, even if we really only get to
explore Ice Cube’s, Dr. Dre’s, and Eazy-E’s.
After several run-ins (each more unjustified than the last) with members of the
Los Angeles Police Department, Dr. Dre convinces Eazy-E to put the money he
gets from selling drugs to good use and together they form Ruthless Records.
The group records a single song, called “Boyz N The Hood”. Most music moguls
hate it, objecting to its language and stating that it would never receive radio
play. The song ultimately becomes the number one most requested song for six
weeks. One manager, Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) approaches Eazy-E and informs
him that he would like to make him and the group legit and that, working
together, they could make it big.
That’s
just a basic plot outline. The film further deals with police brutality, sex,
betrayal, censorship, and several other themes that I don’t want to give away
too much about, as I fear that it will lessen the potential impact if you read
about it here. The film juggles several of these quite well and from the perspective
of its characters and not the average audience. When the members of the group
talk about the ways they have been victimized and brutalized by members of law
enforcement (specifically in their song “F**k Tha Police”), they are not
speaking to everyone’s experiences. They are speaking of their own. One could conceivably
make the argument that this would cause many audience members to ignore that
aspect, since they can’t relate to it. Well, my friends, that is how you learn
about people. By trying to see a world that you might not be able to relate to.
By hearing of, and listening to, someone else’s experience. Part of me, a small
part, apologizes if this review has suddenly turned political but one cannot ignore
those aspects of Straight Outta Compton
and how timely they are.
Sections
of the film, sadly, feel like they are missing. It jumps whole stretches of
time and if not for the occasional “time and location” title on the screen I
would have been lost. Not every biopic needs to do that. Gloss over the mundane
so we can get to the really good, inspiring moments in an individual’s, or
group of individuals’, lives. I would love to have seen these characters in
their childhoods. What started them off on these paths they are on when we
first meet them. Even fifteen minutes could be devoted to this. Don’t ignore it
completely. It’s still just as valid and important as the rest of it.
The
film features several strong performances. Giamatti knocks it out of the park as
always and Jackson does great work at incorporating the voice and mannerisms of
his father. No easy task. Additionally, Hawkins has several great moments (one
that nearly brought me to tears) where he makes great use of the script written
by Johnathon Herman and Andrea Berloff. Those performances deserve more
recognition than they got. However, I must say that the best performance in the
film is by Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E. Everything he does in the film is correct
and appears effortless. He doesn’t waste a single, solitary moment when he’s onscreen.
Like so many well-respected actors of the past we have no idea what he’s going
to do next. From scene to scene, you wonder if he’s going to start throwing
punches or burst into tears. It’s that unpredictability in his performance that
makes him so watchable. He fits the part and I truly look forward to see what
he does with his career.
★★★