The gangsta rap group N.W.A. gets a big screen biopic in the new film “Straight Outta Compton.” Time Warner Cable News film critic Neil Rosen filed the following review.
N.W.A., one of the key groups widely credited for popularizing gangsta rap, gets the big screen biopic treatment in a new film called “Straight Outta Compton.”
The name of the movie comes from the title of their controversial, landmark 1988 debut album. This is the story of how five young men from South Los Angeles helped change the face of rap. Their music was predominantly banned from airwaves, yet they sold millions of albums.
Their songs spoke of drugs, police brutality and racism, and touched a raw nerve with the group's many fans.
The movie looks at the individual members of the group, their rise and fall, and how some went off to pursue solo careers - like Ice Cube, who was the first to leave. In addition, the movie looks at how they were all ultimately taken advantage of by their manager. As we witness their history, listen to their music and follow their lives, such historical events as the 1992 L.A. riots serve as a backdrop.
Director F. Gary Gray expertly directs the music sequences, both in the studio and on stage. He also effectively shows the harassment and police brutality that the residents of the area and members of the group were subjected to.
At the movie's center are the personal stories of N.W.A. members Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. The actors who plays these roles, Jason Mitchell, Corey Hawkins and O'Shea Jackson Jr., who is Ice Cube's real life son, all do a fine job.
As Suge Knight, R. Marcos Taylor is mesmerizing, turning in a particularly menacing performance. Paul Giamatti, as Jerry Heller, the group’s manager, does not fare quite as well, as his portrayal occasionally comes off as clichéd.
Straight Outta Compton is a bit too long and it also tries to cover a lot of ground, with some storylines and events getting shortchanged in the process.
Overall, it's a well-done film that offers up pointed social commentary as it also delivers a thought provoking history of the group.
Neil Rosen’s Big Apple Rating:
Three Apples