Review of Straight Outta Compton (2015) by Kyle T — 12 Jan 2016

It is difficult to describe the energy that exists in the new NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton. The film almost feels dangerous, even though it obviously isn't by today's standards. We will never see multitudes of DVDs of this film ran over by a bulldozer in protest the way the album it gets its title from was in the early nineties. But somehow screenwriters Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff and director F. Gary Gray have managed to create a real sense of urgency and tension throughout. Scenes where our main characters are harassed by police are particularly tense and unsettling. Then there is the impressive concert scenes that are very enthralling and make me wish Mr. Gray and cinematographer Matthew Libatique would try their hands at a few live concert films.

Another great aspect of SOC is that these actors give it their all. Many of them are playing people they perceive as heroes, heck O'Shea Jackson Jr. is playing his own father Ice Cube. And one of my first thoughts, even though I find Ice Cube's movie roles entertaining, is that his son gave a better performance in this film than Cube himself ever has. All the actors are strong and have a chance to shine (Corey Hawkins has a well-acted scene as Dr. Dre hearing the news of his little brother's death). But as the story starts to focus on Easy E's rise and fall and eventual death, Jason Mitchell really brings a heart and reality to a very public figure who was just starting to reconnect with the friends he had pushed away when his years of wild living finally caught up with him.

There are some very smart pieces of writing here as well. The one I'd highlight is the use of the Rodney King/LAPD incident as a major plot point in the film. Watching our leads anguish over the beating of a man by the same police that had harassed them and the subsequent riots that ensued gives the audience a chance to really connect with the often larger-than-life characters on screen.

Many have complained that the film glorifies these men who weren't always the role models they are depicted as. One article pointed out that the mistreatment of women some of them were known for is territory almost completely untouched in the film. I wouldn't know myself-I was around four years old when all this went down so I certainly don't remember it. But I will say there is a lack of strong female portrayals in the film which is a little off-putting. The only actress who really has anything to work with script-wise is Lisa Renee Pitts, who has an effective scene throwing her son out of the house. But if Dr. Dre has had an abusive history with women it is not observed here. That might make the film a little less honest-but a lack of honesty has never made or broken a film. It may make you question the film's motives, but it doesn't affect whether it is entertaining or not.

As I mentioned, pretty much everything here was new to me. I missed the generation affected by these events by a few years. I'm not a fan of rap and I literally knew nothing about these men beyond "Ice Cube is an actor who used to rap" and "Dr. Dre puts his name on Beats headphones". I was glad to experience a well-crafted film that helped me learn more about this small piece of history. Whether you're a fan of these musicians or not, this is an excellent biopic worth checking out. 8/10.