Dope (2015) - Movie Review

 

It was inevitable that I’d come across a film like this during my December endurance run. I wasn’t expecting this to be the first time I’d officially run into it this year, though. With how many new releases come out and the different opinions on each one, there will undoubtedly be films that I disagree with the consensus on. In fact, come January, you’ll see just how many I disagreed with others on. However, prior to today’s subject, I’ve always gotten on the defensive: Excusing Jupiter Ascending’s sheer idiocy because it transcended into the realms of unintentional comedy gold, forgiving The Transporter Refueled as I genuinely think that series has gotten a bad rap overall, and pretty much any new films involving Adam Sandler since, at this rate, the hate for him is getting really dull by now. Here, I find myself looking at the product presented and going "What was so great about that?"

The plot: Malcolm (Shameik Moore), Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) are best friends who live in Inglewood, California. However, their lives are turned upside down when they get tangled up in the business of local drug dealer Dom (A$AP Rocky). As a result, they end up with a backpack full of dope that they have to get rid of one way or another, before they get found out by either the police or opposing drug dealers who want their hands on it.

The acting is really good in this movie. Moore creates a truly believable performance as Malcolm, probably giving one of the more realistic depictions of the ‘geek’ that I’ve seen in far too long, Revolori feels a lot more comfortable here than last time he was on the big screen as young F. Murray Abraham, and Clemons was exceptionally fun and came across as someone who would be an awesome friend to hang out with IRL. Beyond that, we have Zoë Kravitz doing a decent job as Nakia, Blake Anderson as the rather goofy Will was a nice addition and a very out-of-place Roger Guenveur Smith as Mr. Jacoby. And then we get into the bit parts played by rappers, which range from surprisingly decent to not-surprisingly pointless. Vince Staples was kind of cool as a dopey gangster, Kap-G makes for a nice scene-stealer as Fidel X, and Tyga gets all of one scene and that’s really all that should ever be seen of Mr. Rack City Bitch in a wide release. However, easily the best out of the lot is A$AP Rocky as Dom. Not only is he a perfect fit for this movie, since he lives and breathes classic hip-hop culture as much as the film does, but he even makes good on his dialogue involving sending drones over Inglewood.

I’ve made it no secret that I love me some hip-hop. If it’s used well, I’ll commend people like Ludwig Göransson for providing great tunes in a great context like in Creed. If it isn’t used well, I’ll chew out cats like Craig Armstrong for using otherwise great tunes in a terrible context like in The Great Gatsby. The music for this is exceptionally well-used, to the point where I wonder if the music was set to the scene or the other way around. Not only did they find a perfect thematic use for Busta Rhyme’s legendary verse in Scenario by A Tribe Called Quest, a key scene is timed around the song and it works amazing well. Add to this classic cuts like Black Sheep’s The Choice Is Yours, Nas’ The World Is Yours and Public Enemy’s Rebel Without A Pause, as well as some songs from the in-universe band Awreeoh, and this is a pretty sweet soundtrack.

However, this film’s attitude to hip-hop is probably its biggest downfall for two big reasons. First off, all the golden age rap worship made by our mains? I hate to pull the elitist card, but it comes across pretty heavily as empty posturing. And I’m not even talking about them un-ironically looking through Yo! MTV Raps for fashion tips, although that certainly doesn’t help. I’m referring to a specific conversation Malcolm has with Dom about Malcolm’s apparent love for the 90’s era. Without getting too specific (this time around, at least), Dom dresses him down when he gives two examples of classic albums and neither of them are from the 90’s. That’s classic posing that gets brought up regularly in the comments sections for HipHopDX and XXL, among many other places. The second reason is that, for as much talk that has been made in terms of this film’s originality, its plot should be very familiar to those who do partake in hip-hop. A geeky kid trying to survive in the California suburbs without resorting to crime like the people around him? A good kid trying to make it out of a m.A.A.d city, perhaps? I’m not saying that K.Dot should sue or anything; just that people have jumped the gun a bit when it comes to this film’s credentials.

Although, in a way, that might be the point of it. After all, a key theme of the film proper is that of identity. What is “white” behaviour, what is “black” behaviour, what is “geek” behaviour, what is “nigga” behaviour, etc. Maybe Malcolm’s obviously false adoption of old-school hip-hop culture is out of a need to find his own identity in the grand mess that is his life in the Cali suburbs. We see this a fair bit in a handful of other characters too. Jaleel (Quincy Brown) is trying to be a Blood but trying too hard, since he takes the Blood’s disdain for the Crips to even more ridiculous extremes by not saying the letter C on record. Will wants to be able to say the word nigga, but doesn’t fully understand why he can’t according to other people. Hell, even Malcolm’s admission of being a geek is continually brought into question throughout the film, given his hobbies and the actions he is forced to undertake just to stay alive; after all, whenever he’s asked who is, he says that he’s “just Malcolm”. I think this might be the first time I actively figured out a film while writing about it. For those few people out there who wanted a better look into my thought processes, I give you Exhibit A.

All in all, this is a well-done portrayal of an admittedly well-worn coming-of-age story. The acting is really good, the writing makes some nice points about personal identity, the music is extremely well integrated into the overall film, not to mention being awesome in its own right, and the overall production is slick and highly energetic. I guess I finally understand what the rest of the world sees in this movie after all.