Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Directed by F. Gary Gray
In 1987, five young men, using brutally honest rhymes and hardcore beats, put their frustration and anger about life in the most dangerous place in America into the most powerful weapon they had: their music. Taking us back to where it all began, Straight Outta Compton tells the true story of how these cultural rebels—armed only with their lyrics, swagger, bravado and raw talent—stood up to the authorities that meant to keep them down and formed the world’s most dangerous group, N.W.A. And as they spoke the truth that no one had before and exposed life in the hood, their voice ignited a social revolution that is still reverberating today.
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21 films that influenced Straight Outta Compton
What critics say influenced Straight Outta Compton
At other times, it evokes an almost meta recreation of '90s dramas like “Boyz N The Hood,” which was shot in the same city with one of this film’s characters.
With the fallout from the Rodney King beatings building in the background, it’s a potent portrait of recent LA history, right up there with the Cube-starring Boyz n the Hood for its electric depiction of urban violence.
Boyz n the Hood director John Singleton was initially due to direct this NWA biopic, and he may have brought a more nuanced edge to the tale of the band’s controversial cultural status.
Boyz n the Hood director John Singleton apparently wanted all of the "black Beatles" to star in his '90s coming-of-age-in-the-ghetto classic, but only Ice Cube took him up on it.
Straight Outta Compton is built on these roles, and though the storytelling may not be fully capable of bearing the weight of so much plot, you’ll want to break out your old N.W.A. albums and re-watch Boyz n the Hood and Friday, especially after Jackson exclaims, “Bye, Felicia!”
For instance, 8 Mile (2002) was shot in Detroit (the 313), and Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) had scenes shot in Somers Point, New Jersey (Tony Mart's).
For instance, 8 Mile (2002) was shot in Detroit (the 313), and Eddie and the Cruisers (1983) had scenes shot in Somers Point, New Jersey (Tony Mart's).
Indeed, that's how it plays and if it wasn't for Eazy-E's moving, if narratively inconvenient, demise (played strongly by Jason Mitchell), this would have been an 8 Mile-like fantasy of triumphant success over adversity.
If you ignore 8 Mile, the thinly veiled Eminem biopic-or-isn’t-it, and the TLC biopic CrazySexyCool, which was straight-to-TV, the most significant to date has been 2009’s mediocre Notorious, about the New York City legend Notorious B.I.G., which had a rather successful opening weekend before losing steam at the box office.
For comparison, the Eminem-starring “8 Mile” and the Biggie Smalls feature “Notorious” come to mind.
Although it earns its R rating in nearly every scene, the film’s vibe is closer to “The Social Network” than “Menace II Society,” choosing to romanticize the merits of the music and the relation between art and commerce, not the violence that was interconnected with the group’s rise and fall.
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That sequence is the heart of the movie; the group is met before the show by a huge contingent of police, and they face off in a parking garage, echoing West Side Story .
Unlike “Walk the Line,” which only has to deal with Johnny Cash’s story, “Straight Outta Compton” manages to give equal weight to Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) and Easy-E (Jason Mitchell), at the same time giving supporting note to MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) as well as offering a barrage of character cameos from Snoop Dogg to Tupac.
To find a comparable evocation of American aspiration and excess, skip such musical biopic predecessors as “Walk the Line” and “Ray” and look at Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
The key to the best music biopics – Ray, Walk the Line, Sid & Nancy – is their willingness and allowance to portray their protagonists, as, well, assholes.
This direct homage to the essence of a time between a father and son is basically unparalleled; Apocalypse Now and Platoon until now have provided the exception.
At one point, the increasingly wary Ice Cube is summoned to a motel room to sign a contract for Heller; he comments that the subdued lighting reminds him of “The Godfather.”
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That hardly tanks the latter, which is timely in a number of unfortunate ways, while also possibly reminding/informing some viewers that once upon a time, Ice Cube was not that guy from family-friendly stuff like "Are We There Yet?"
In an echo of “Cadillac Records,” Paul Giamatti shows up as the band’s savvy Jewish manager, Jerry Heller, who helps N.W.A achieve fame but also — in this version of the story — drives them apart.