Sunday, October 4, 2015

Review of STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON: Ghetto Gumption

October 3, 2015



I am not really a fan of the gangsta rap genre, so at first I was not really planning to watch this film about gangsta rappers. However, it had a 2-week run at number 1 in the US box-office. It eventually became the highest grossing music biographical film all-time worldwide, as well as the highest domestic grossing film from a black director all-time in the United States. It was difficult to ignore such achievements. I needed to watch this film to see why.

This film was not just about any ordinary gangsta rapper. It was about N.W.A., the seminal rap supergroup that brought gangsta rap into mainstream consciousness in 1988 with the release of their debut album entitled "Straight Outta Compton". Three rap superstars trace their solo success from N.W.A., namely Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. The film shows us their rise to fame and their falling out as a group, as well as their individual personalities. I just knew these rappers by name and by their hits, this is the first time I actually witnessed the circumstances from which they drew the inspiration for their brand of music.

Incredibly, the young actors in the cast actually resemble the rap stars they were portraying. The easy standout is O'Shea Jackson, Jr. as Ice Cube. Of these three rappers, Ice Cube was the more showy and outspoken one, never afraid to speak his mind or defy authority. Jackson, Jr. is actually the son of Ice Cube in real life, so the similarities in look and attitude were uncanny. This film debut of his was surely a star-making performance.

Corey Hawkins fully captured the cool, calm and class of Dr. Dre, whose demeanor did not seem to belong to this group. Jason Mitchell was remarkable in his understated performance as Eazy-E, the founder of N.W.A. whose own life would crumble after his group broke up. 

Like his other roles, Paul Giamatti was again totally transformed here into Jerry Heller, N.W.A.'s Jewish manager and co-producer. R. Marcos Taylor was a chillingly terrifying presence as Suge Knight. I enjoyed the cameos of other superstar rappers like Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur, played by look-alikes Keith Stanfield and Marcc Rose respectively.

From the beginning, you knew this would not be an ordinary biopic. The cinematography by award-winning Fil-Am Matthew Libatique was impeccable, with brilliant colors, dramatic contrast and captivating shots.  The original music by N.W.A. and the individual rap stars with their killer beats and head-bobbing grooves were perfectly chosen to enhance the atmosphere of the scenes. 

The way director F. Gary Gray told his story, audiences would find themselves immersed into their violent world of rap, women, crime and drugs as their explicit song lyrics would describe. For the uninitiated, the violence depicted is ruthless, numbing and eye-opening. 

This is not a film for everybody. People who do not approve the turbulent excesses of the gangsta rap lifestyle will likely not tolerate the the very profane language they use here or the buxom molls who hang around them (not unlike what we see in their videos). However, people who are into pop culture in general, or hip hop culture in particular, will find this film an essential watch, watching how some of rap's biggest stars came to be who they are now. Certain dramatic confrontation scenes may come across over-the-top and cheesy. Overall though, this film is brutal, unflinching, yet interesting, engaging and vital. 8/10. 

19 comments:

  1. Interesting. I think I want to get a copy of this one. Might as well discover the lifestyle of the target community.

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  2. Wow that's a high rating! I'm also not into that kind of genre so I would probably pass on watching this in the cinemas.

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  3. The reason why the actors resemble the characters they're playing is because they're actually their sons :) Well, at least Ice Cube and Dr. Dre's sons. I finally watched it this weekend and loved it. I heard they're making a second one too.

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    1. Hi Erica. O'Shea Jackson, Jr., the actor playing Ice Cube, is indeed Ice Cube's real son. However, Corey Hawkins, the actor playing Dr. Dre, is not the son of Dr. Dre for real.

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  4. I haven't seen this movie, but I would love to. They way you describe it makes it so intriguing.

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  5. This might not be my type of movie but you are right, not for everybody but there is an audience for it . I should probably wait this movie out.

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  6. 8 out of 10? Now that rating sure is firing up my curiosity into seeing this film although I'm not quite particularly fond with gangsta or street movies. Thanks Fred!

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  7. I am really not a fan of these kind of movies but your rating is worth for all the fans.

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  8. I am not a fan of Gansta Rap too. It would be interesting to watch a different genre too especially that you rated it high.

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  9. I'm not into gangsta movies but I listen to some gangsta rap. I'm not familiar with any of the actors in the movie so I kind of want to pass but given the fact that you're not into this kind too but gave them an 8 rating, it's kinda intriguing. :)

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  10. As what you've said, this is interesting to watch and it differs from the usual but it has a weight when it comes to the pop culture. You know, profane language are natural to them anyway.

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  11. As usual, a comprehensive analysis. I'll have to admit though that it's not necessarily my type of movie - but it does sound intriguing.

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  12. This is something different. I haven't seen this in the local cinemas yet, but when you talk about gangster, it reminds me of Black Mass... 1988 is the year I'm born, so it actually intrigue me!

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  13. Im not into gangsta movies. But with a little scene and there its fine. Gangsta are all about violence and guns. Just an opinion though

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  14. Not really into this movie. I'm a bit into classic and well some dance movies. But not this. :D Some of their music though are great. Some even have good messages.

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  15. Your review really piqued my ineterest. I think this film would make people understand more about how rap and music helps black culture, so def watching!

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  16. I haven't really watched gangsta rap lifestyle type of movie but it looks interesting. More intrigued on the soundtrack though :)

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  17. Your nice review made me wonder, if should I get a copy of this film. I have lots to learn about this rap lifestyle, so why not spend an hour or two watching this flick.

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  18. I would love to watch Straight Outta Compton!! It looks so awesome and interesting! :D

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