Straight Outta Compton

Released:  August 14^th, 2015

Rated:  R

Distributor:  Universal Pictures

Starring:  O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Paul Giamatti, Neil Brown Jr., Aldis Hodge

Directed by:  F. Gary Gray

Written by:  Jonathan Herman, Andrea Berloff

Personal Bias Alert:  not familiar with the group’s music or its history

7.9 of 10

            Awards season is almost upon us, and it seems that Straight Outta Compton might serve as its unofficial kickoff.  It’s a film that’s touching a nerve among Americans, as its focus, the politically conscious rap group N.W.A., spoke openly about the tension between police and minorities that still persists to this day.  That frankness is retained in the film, and its frequent images of black men being manhandled by officers may sear itself into the minds of Oscar voters.  Then again, it’s a long time until that gold is handed out, and time may not be the kindest thing to this very traditional piece.

            For those like me who are a bit too young to remember N.W.A., it’s the group that first made Dr. Dre and Ice Cube stars and originated the phrase ‘f*** tha police’.  They came out of, you guessed it, Compton, California, so that’s where the film starts, just as the group is solidifying.  Seeing budding talents push for the art they love is a magnetic thing, that’s why it’s such an integral part of music biopics, and the added weight of the social politics surrounding N.W.A. only makes their fight more satisfying.  The circumstances of the group’s story, though, quickly turns into a hindrance for the screenwriters, as the ups and downs of N.W.A.’s career plays out at a rapid pace and leaves them chasing members of the group as they scatter in the wind of the 90’s rap scene.  It’s a scene I’m only faintly aware of, and Straight Outta Compton isn’t interested in slowing down to explain things to the uninitiated.  If you’re like me, you may get a bit lost in the mess of record labels (which definitely hinders the last line of the film), but the story sticks so closely to traditional biopic beats that you’ll always be able to find your way to the important takeaways.

            To the film’s benefit and detriment, several members of N.W.A. were intimately involved in the film’s development, serving as producers, spearheading the marketing, and bringing in a director who they’ve known since the mid 90’s.  That backing certainly helped get the biopic a healthy $28 million budget and attract a massive audience, but it also left the film scarred by missed opportunities.  This is a fluff piece when it comes to actually looking at these men, glossing over their personality faults and poor decisions in a way that leaves them a bit nondescript.  I know enough about the time period, particularly the label Dre ends up associating himself with, to know that seriously messed up stuff was going down.  While Straight Outta Compton does acknowledge these goings-on, it almost entirely leaves out how much Dre and the others were involved, showing them getting their hands dirty only when they were clearly in the right or when the instances are played off as fun.  A little more honesty about the actions they took during this time that they regret, like the violence against women that Dre admitted to in the current issue of Rolling Stone, could’ve taken this film into truly legendary territory.

            But as I said, their involvement does come with perks, a massive one being the involvement of cinematographer Matthew Libatique.  Libatique has long worked with Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan), and he brings the ability to make the grime and the success look equally beautiful.  That’s not to say that it feels unreal; in fact, the performance scenes are some of the most immersive you’ll see on the big screen, but it all looks so darn pleasing that it helps mask when the film skates around those pesky difficult issues it clearly doesn’t want to address.

            Other proven talents helped mold Straight Outta Compton into the slick, aware piece that it is, and the things N.W.A. stood for are, sadly, still incredibly relevant today.  But the film’s honesty about these issues only highlights the dishonesty that permeates the portraits of these men, making Straight Outta Compton another in a long line of enjoyably safe biopics.

Other Notes:

Ø  All the actors were good, but Jason Mitchell as Easy-E is the breakout force here.

Ø  The film is guilty of focusing on Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E while marginalizing Dj Yella and MC Ren.  Can you guess who did and didn’t get producing credits?

Ø  There’s a moment towards the end of this film when an unnamed character closes a door that is absolutely heartbreaking.