Review of Patti Cake$ (2017) by James C — 26 Aug 2017

"Patti Cake$" makes no apology for remixing your favorite underdog stories and spitting them back in your face with way more heart, humor and heroism than you've ever heard them before. This is supposed to be a movie about hip-hop, but of course "Patti Cake$" is really about people, and it's the irresistible, almost cartoon-ish collection of misfit humans that ignites and drives the story.

Each character is immediately likeable, or immediately detestable, or immediately ridiculous -- there is no in-between and no room for bland. The casting is near perfect and the performances majestic, particularly Patti, Mom and Nana.

Once you see how the story starts, you will probably figure how it ends. But what you won't be prepared for is just how well it's executed, and how much fun you will have getting sucked into rooting for our oddball heroes on their journeys of discovery and conquest.

Prepare to laugh out loud all the way through, because it's funny AF. And prepare to cry too, right around the time when you think you won't. The original soundtrack is banging, and you'll be spitting out "PBNJ" all the way down the theater escalator and onto the street.

On the face of it, "Patti Cake$" probably has no right to be this good. But who cares? It IS this good. It's damn good. Call it "rhymes over reasons"... either way, you're going to love it.