Straight Outta Compton

Director: F Gary Gray
Cast: O’Shea Jackson Jr.,  Corey Hawkins,  Jason Mitchell,  Neil Brown Jr.,  Aldis Hodge,  Marlon Yates Jr.
Rating: 15
Running time: 147 mins
Release Date: 28th August, 2015

Over the years there have been so many great biopics telling the story of the lives of great scientists, actors and musicians and getting the script just right has always been a bit of a challenge. The need to stay true to the story is paramount in any biopic, but playing it safe sometimes gets in the way of that; maybe telling the whole truth might not be quite so appealing to the studio funding it, but in STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, they’re not afraid to tell it how it is.   

In STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON the first half of F. Gary Gray’s two-and-a-half hour movie is about the birth of west coast gangsta rap and it’s lively, engrossing, bursting with energy and passion, but then as we approach the final act, the action and performance change as the lives of the rap stars begin to fall apart and that is when we see how sublimely well the cast bring the emotional narrative to life.

The film whisks us back to the late 1980s, in the economically disadvantaged Los Angeles neighbourhood that soon becomes more well known for producing the world’s most renowned rappers than the struggles of the people that live there. Drug crimes run rampant and we soon meet young Eric “Eazy-E” Wright (Jason Mitchell) who is caught up in this world. He is friends with Andre “Dr Dre” Young (Corey Hawkins), an extraordinarily talented DJ, who is so impassioned by his vocation, he pays little attention to his newborn child. The final young man thrown into the mix is the very wise and talented teen poet O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson (who is actually the producer Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr).

Straight Outta Compton

Everyday life is a battle for the trio, who are trialled on a daily basis by a variety of adversaries, including run-ins with the police and working in jobs they hate and barely scraping through financially. Fed up of their current existence, they decide to unite their talents and passions to form the group NWA (Niggaz With Attitudes). Financial backing initially comes from Eazy-E, Ice Cube writes the lyrics and Dr Dre lays down the tracks. They are not a trio as other members join, but it is clear to see that the three of them are the hearts, soul and body of the group and what they create when they work together is special – magical

Life seems to be on the up for the hardworking group, who are quickly growing a reputation with their tracks and a supportive following. Eazy-E puts his illegal finances to good use as he cuts their first independent record, Boyz n the Hood, which draws the attention of the bigwigs of record labels, especially producer Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti). Heller is a complex individual who initially makes it hard to decipher his character. Sleazy? Talented? Trustworthy?

Regardless of his questionable initial intentions, one thing that is clear is that he understands the group and genuinely respects their talents. His focus is to get them more attention, which he feels they deserve.  Heller also backs the group up outside of the studio – he is understandably outraged when the group are harassed by the police for simply standing on the pavement and he uses his position to defuse the tense situation. The scenes are rather alarming as we watch the police abuse their positions.

It is due to this horrendous situation that the group were inspired to create their NWA masterpiece, F*ck Tha Police, which is full of raw anguish and due to the time it was released it certainly brought about a lot of attention. As a result, the group were thrown big time into the limelight with a successful nationwide tour that launched them into the musical stratosphere. 

Straight Outta Compton

It is during these first two acts that the narrative flies and the action entertains. The music delights and it is easy to see why the group were considered revolutionary and brought the world to hip-hop.

With their success growing daily, we see the group take on the world and the climax really comes to a head in STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON when the group is in Detroit performing F*ck Tha Police despite being warned not to do so and a near riot breaks out. Following the brutalities, they find themselves arrested and in jail, before attending a rather philosophical press conference. Unfortunately after this sequence, we see the group’s solidification falter and cracks in their relationship professionally and personally ensue. 

Heller’s new contract offer does not satisfy Ice Cube, so he leaves, which inspires the remaining group members to record a diss track on their next album after his departure. Ice Cube retaliates with No Vaseline, creating one of the most well-known rebukes in the history of hip-hop. It consists of a barrage of homophobic slurs, and makes an antisemitic comment about Heller. The group never really sustain their position afterwards, resulting in Dr Dre teaming up with the large, menacing former bodyguard Suge Knight.

After going separate ways, it seems that eventually there may be peace and the group could reform once more, but sadly Eazy-E dies from Aids. 

Straight Outta Compton

Aside from the actions taken by the members of the group, the remainder of the film is filled out with arguing – mostly about contracts, which is a shame as there are more grittier areas they could have explored, including Eazy-E and Heller, when facing down threats from Knight, teamed up with Meir Kahane’s Jewish Defense League. There is only a brief reference to this. 

Regardless of this, without a doubt, fans of their music will be elated to see the biopic on the big screen and it comes as no surprise to see the movie blow up at the box office – and deservedly so. The casting is superb and all of the actors are clearly committed to their characters and telling the story. The most harrowing and heartfelt of scenes are delivered in the hospital as Eazy discovers he is dying and Jason Mitchell’s talent shines through as he breaks down after the shocking news.

The director, F. Gary Gray, has put his own stamp on the film in his style of story telling, offering a modern, almost commercial filmmaker’s sense of space and rhythm with loose compositions and functional editing, which prove to be very effective.

Overall, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON is a triumphant rap-to-riches story about the group N.W.A. which opens with a blast of an action-film premise. The narrative is a story driven by classic tensions: struggle and triumph, division and conquest, group and individual – and it is all emotionally charged and significantly meaningful. 

Verdict
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