Straight Outta Compton

In the mid-1980s, drug dealer Eric “Eazy E” Wright (Jason Mitchell) and friend Lorenzo “MC Ren” Patterson (Aldis Hodge) join forces with aspiring DJs Andre “Dr. Dre” Young (Corey Hawkins), Antoine “DJ Yella” Carabay (Neil Brown Jr.), and teen rapper Oshea “Ice Cube” Jackson (Oshea Jackson Jr. – Ice Cube’s son) to form pioneering hip hop group N.W.A. Impressed by Wright, veteran music manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) helps him start the label Ruthless Records and release the group’s debut album, Straight Outta Compton. The album wins both a massive following and the ire of law enforcement everywhere. As N.W.A. gains stature and success, disputes regarding finances and Heller’s role in the operation fracture the group at the height of its popularity.

Biopics are often actors’ showcases, and, as such, other elements of filmmaking tend to suffer. Real-life figures are shunted into the roles of heroes and villains, personal triumphs and failings are exaggerated and dramatized, and plotting is usually predictable even to those unfamiliar with the subject’s history. To a certain extent, Straight Outta Compton is as guilty of this as any film in the genre: it’s a victor’s history that demonizes Heller, whitewashes Dre’s violence and misogyny, only hints at Suge Knight’s true malice, and downplays the contributions of other group members. Despite these shortcomings, Straight Outta Compton successfully avoids the pitfalls of excess sentimentality and presents a potent retrospective on artists that influenced a generation.

Though there are few big names to be found among the cast, there are several strong performances. Mitchell conveys Eazy E’s charisma and cunning while Jackson, the spitting image of his father, captures the latter’s passion and rage. On the other hand, Hawkins’ Dre is curiously sedate (except where family is concerned) while Giamatti’s serial haminess lends itself to stereotypically (if at times amusingly) apoplectic outbursts.

No one will confuse F. Gary Gray (who previously helmed Friday, among others) for Steven McQueen, but his direction here is more competent than his resume suggests. The film runs at a deliberate pace yet doesn’t feel padded, and there is a convincing period feel. Credit too should go to screenwriters Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff for their gritty, aware writing. Where Straight Outta Compton is strongest is in its ability to tap into the late 80s/early 90s zeitgeist: police were hostile, media were skeptical, and in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict, a lot of people were angry. Against this backdrop, N.W.A.’s rise to prominence appears weighty and relevant. That said, the film’s closing segment, which features various artists attest to the group’s (and Dre’s in particular) influence reeks of pandering.

With its historical distortions, self-indulgence, and sins of omission, Straight Outta Compton fails to be all that it could have been. It is, however, a provocatively refreshing departure from the canned staleness that often permeates prestige cinema.

7.75/10