Movie Review: ‘Straight Outta Compton’ not just a story of thug life

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (R)

Solid musician biopics appear to be fashionable this year. First, we were treated to the challenging, intimate Brian Wilson tribute “Love and Mercy,” (click here for my review) and now, director F. Gary Gray gives us “Straight Outta Compton,” a high-energy, epic chronicle of notorious, pioneering ‘80s gangsta rap outfit, N.W.A.

In the late ‘80s, when the intelligent and socially aware Public Enemy was all the rage on the hip hop scene, Compton native Andre “Dr. Dre” Young had his own dream of making it big as a musician and his own distinct idea of how to express himself. His deejay and producing skills were next to none, and with fierce, down-and-dirty lyricist O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson by his side, these two ambitious young men would ultimately join forces with the likes of Eric “Eazy-E” Wright, DJ Yella, the Arabian Prince, the D.O.C., and MC Ren. Eventually, N.W.A. and Ruthless Records were born. And for those wondering, no, N.W.A. is not an acronym for “No Whites Allowed.”

This big, livewire act of a movie crams a lot of info into a 2.5 hour running time: the formation of N.W.A. and Ruthless Records, the bond between Eazy-E and group manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti), the infighting amongst N.W.A. members, a glimpse at Dr. Dre and Ice Cube’s solo careers, a look at group member family lives, an unforeseen illness, and more. And these plot threads barely scratch the surface. As much ground as this film covers, it’s to director F. Gary Gray’s great credit that things move along at a very quick pace. True, a few character moments get lost along the way, and the film does slip into a bit of music biopic overload in the final act, but no matter.

The energy and drama seldom let up here, and in the end, “Straight Outta Compton” the movie is every bit as unapologetic and provocative as its iconic gangsta rap subjects. Plus, this tale of the American Dream and a revolution has a joyous spirit and a ton of humor to go along with a heap load of political and social commentary.

Highlights in “Straight Outta Compton” include a thunderous live N.W.A. performance in Detroit, a look at a specific moment that inspired the group to pen one of their most famous anthems, a sequence in which rivals Eazy-E and Ice Cube attempt to verbally one-up each other in the studio, an intense altercation between a frustrated Dre and an intimidating Suge Knight, and a brief but affectionate wink at 1995’s “Friday,” which, in addition to being written by and starring Ice Cube, also happens to be F. Gary Gray’s feature length directorial debut.

Corey Hawkins, O’Shea Jackson (son of the real Ice Cube), and Jason Mitchell are spot on as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E, and each brings their own dynamic sense of purpose to their respective roles. This trio of outstanding actors are backed by a stellar supporting cast, including Giamatti (Jerry Heller), Neil Brown Jr. (DJ Yella), Aldis Hodge (MC Ren), R. Marcos Taylor (Suge Knight), Marlon Yates Jr. (the D.O.C.), Carra Patterson (Tomica), Keith Stanfeild (Snoop Dogg), Keith Powers (Tyree), Marcc Rose (Tupac), and Mark Sherman (Jimmy Iovine).

There are moments in “Straight Outta Compton” that are a little overplayed, and yes, some moments are skimmed over all together. Furthermore, the film appears to be vilifying Jerry Heller, unsuccessfully so. While the N.W.A. manager was certainly guilty of shady dealings, particularly toward the end of Eazy-E’s career, it’s clear that he cared about the band, particularly Eazy-E. Was he on this ride to make money? Of course he was. What manager wouldn’t be? The fact remains that Heller was a hard worker, and there was respect there. It should also be noted that he was responsible for getting these guys out of hot water on many occasions.

By the end of the picture, there’s a pivotal moment in which Heller is clearly painted a villain, and I found that funny given the illegal activity some of his clients were involved in. And let it also be noted that he isn’t half the shady individual Suge Knight was. Having said all of that, this is a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things, and it hardly changes my overall opinion of this movie as a whole.

Back when N.W.A. was at their peak, I was working at a record shop in Burbank, and while I was familiar with this group and the controversy surrounding them, I was too busy basking in the glory of U2 and R.E.M. to realize the importance of what N.W.A. was doing at the time. To simply write them off as thugs is unfair. They were pioneers and their gritty, reality-based hip-hop anthems weren’t condoning thug life. The majority of these songs were actually a reflection of the world N.W.A. grew up in.

F. Gary Gray’s authentic, sprawling biopic is an undeniably electric look at N.W.A. and its members in all their impulsive, angry, joyful, and excessive glory. While irreverent at times, this is a passion project made with the utmost reverence and respect. Like a lot of the edgy, provocative music N.W.A. produced, the movie “Straight Outta Compton” won’t be for everyone, but this 46-year-old U2-loving white boy thought it was pretty dope.