"I got something to say."
Biopics are a tough beast to tame. On the one hand, the story needs to be faithful to real life events. On the other, the characters need to be likable and the plot needs coherency. How can one manage that and still deliver an entertaining film? Straight Outta Compton seems to manage it pretty well; I've heard some criticism about decisions that may have been made by producers Ice Cube and Dr. Dre in order to protect their image somewhat, chief among them being Dr. Dre's misogynistic tendencies. Other important real-world people in the N.W.A story, including Arabian Prince, were reduced to cameos in the film. While these can be viewed as detrimental, I prefer to see them as par for the course when it comes to biopics, and it doesn't matter much to someone just looking for a good film (which I often am). I watch documentaries if I want a thorough education, not Hollywood movies. More importantly, Straight Outta Compton succeeds in overcoming the cliche trappings of the genre while capturing something raw and timely in the process.
"Speak a little truth and people lose their minds."
In 1986, times are tough for a group of teens living in Compton, Los Angeles. Filled with drugs, poverty, and police brutality, they get by with little money and not much hope for the future. They dub themselves Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson, Jr.), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), and Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell) and record a rap album with a few friends called "Boyz-n-the-Hood." It sells so unexpectedly well that it attracts the attention of Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti), and he offers to be their manager. During a recording session for their next album, the boys are harassed by some cops just for standing outside their own building. Angered by the incident, Ice Cube writes "Fuck tha Police," causing huge controversy and effectively putting the group, now called the N.W.A., in the public limelight in a way no hip-hop artist had before. In the proceeding years, success forces the group to shift in different directions, and with all of their newfound "friends" and business partners, it becomes impossible to know who to trust.
"What's NWA stand for anyway?"
Some of the best scenes in the film are the most subdued. The early scenes in Compton are extremely effective, letting the actors breathe and be natural with each other; it's easy to believe that they could all be real-life friends. I think it's because there's not a whole lot of "performing" going on; the actors, including Ice Cube's real-life son, embody their characters naturally, giving the film a sense of authenticity. That's not to say that the actors falter in the more emotional scenes; they don't. But the film's heart lies in seeing these kids, who are growing up in rough-as-hell conditions, just hanging out, ragging on each other, and being people. Also, I've gotta give it up for Paul Giamatti, who absolutely knocks it out of the park with his performance.
"I like Afterschool Specials"
Screenwriters Jonathan Herman and Adrea Berloff do a good job pacing the film and working with a story that takes place over a long period of time. The development feels natural and the script doesn't pull punches with language, difficult realities, racism, and violence. No film about the N.W.A was going to be a "safe" one, but it's still a relief that it doesn't appear to have been censored too much by its producers. We see the boys act like complete jackasses and make terrible decisions, but the consequences are often devastating (and thankfully pulls the film together at the tail end). The culture of hip-hop during the 80s and early 90s is oozing out of the film's aesthetics as well, which does its job in transporting the audience back in time.
"That shit was DOPE."
If there's something missing from the experience, it's a small but vital moment. Where's that moment when the group realizes that they've got their first big hit? There are scenes with small reactions peppered throughout the first act, but I didn't feel the excitement I was expecting when they essentially become famous. I needed some kind of reaction from the boys that signifies what's really happening; their lives will never be the same. In addition, transitions between scenes (which sometimes also means transitions between years) sometimes come a little too soon; for example, a scene where the group narrowly escapes a very intense concert is ended somewhat abruptly so that the movie can get onto the next big event in the "real world" story. No more referencing that crazy scene, time to move on! I'd call it a plotting problem; I shouldn't be able to remove scenes of the film and still be left with a coherent story, but in certain cases I definitely can. Also, while we're being negative here, the film is not subtle about its messages... like AT ALL. It's dangerously close to PSA material, which is a bit disappointing because most of the movie is better than that.
"Is this taking care of me?"
Straight Outta' Compton isn't a paint-by-numbers biopic that trudges through a cradle-to-grave formula without personality, and given its subject matter, that's a great thing. What's sad about its themes of racism are that they are still as relevant today as they were twenty-five years ago, and what's interesting is how the shock waves sent out by N.W.A. can still be felt today in full force. Their music was angry, intense, and unhinged, but that's exactly what it needed to be. You don't grow up in hell and learn to sing about the clouds. The film's themes about the rise to power and subsequent fall because of overindulgence may seem a bit cliche on paper, but they are used to good effect. Add in the great performances and solid directing by F. Gary Gray, and you have a blunt film that doesn't shy away from the ideas it presents. Its messages may not subtle, but then again, neither was N.W.A.
8/10
