Movie: Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton:  the rap group NWA’s story.  You don’t have to be a rap music fan to enjoy this film.  The movie opens in 1986 with a drug house.  We are introduced first to Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell) and soon meet Dr. Dre (Cory Hawkins) and Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson, Jr.).  Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Eazy-E’s widow are the film’s co-producers and the story is told with realism from their perspective.  Compton, particularly in the mid-80’s, was a violent place.  The film’s story provides a basis for understanding the gangster rap lyrics that made NWA famous.  By March 1987, the group had recorded its first single, “Boyz-N-The Hood”.  The first hour of this 142 minute film focuses on how the group and the music got together.  The balance of the film tells of how the group performed and how it eventually broke apart.  The dialogue is street language throughout.  While MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) and DJ Yella (Neil Brown, Jr.), the other two NWA members, are present and though other people float in and out, this film’s focus is primarily about the clash that developed between Eazy-Z and Ice Cube, both of whom recognized the importance of Dr. Dre to NWA.  The bad guy is NWA’s manager, Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti), who is white and Jewish.   Heller is presented as the person responsible for NWA’s split up.  The film portrays Heller as ripping off NWA while still acknowledging his ability to get the group before an audience.  The film does not ignore the anti-Semitic comments, many of which are made by Ice Cube.  Giamatti may have earned himself another Oscar nomination.  O’Shea Jackson, Ice Cube’s son, did an excellent job.   The director, F. Gary Gray, deserves a lot of the credit for keeping the film honest and connected to its historical roots.  There are numerous party scenes during the second half of the film, a significant number of which include scantily clad females.  There are also disturbing scenes of violence, particularly those associated with Suge Knight.  Knight is currently under arrest for murder.  I think any potential juror who has seen this film is automatically disqualified from serving on the jury.  This is a film worth seeing.