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Dope (2015)
Despite a slightly confusing screenplay, the 2015 comedy Dope is an undeniably stylish re-thinking of the teen angst comedies of the 80's and 90's that provides solid entertainment as long as the viewer remembers that they're watching a movie and nothing that happens here would ever happen in real life.
Set in "The Bottoms", a turbulent neighborhood in contemporary Inglewood, California, this is the story of Malcolm, a geeky and intelligent high school student who loves MTV Raps and Will Smith. Malcolm finds his life turned upside down when he and his BFFs Diggy and Jib get invited to an underground party where a violent gun battle breaks out. The next morning, Malcolm finds a large cache of drugs and a gun in his backpack which was left behind the bar.
Director and screenwriter Rick Famuyiwa has mounted an intelligent and winning story that is based on reality but the reality of Malcolm's predicament is only the blueprint for a truly unconventional cinematic trip that makes jarring and unexpected jumps from fantasy to reality and based them around a completely likable central character, whose brains and sensitivity bring to mind movie characters like Ferris Bueller and Farmer Ted in Sixteen Candles, but because he's black, the character evokes more empathy from the viewer than those white movie kids from the 80's.
Despite the likability of this central character, this film goes in so many outrageous directions that it's hard to accept that what happens to Malcolm could actually happen in real life. To be more specific, Malcolm really shouldn't have come out of this story in one piece. This is one of those movies that requires the viewer to put their brain in check and just let the events of the story roll over them. This is also one of the few films I have seen where I really enjoyed the narration...smart, funny, non-intrusive and helped to fill in story holes and speed exposition. I liked the way Famuyiwa's story would move to a certain point where questions arise for the viewer, and then go back and explain them.
The film features some imaginative camerawork and solid editing that greatly assist in the acceptance of the fantasy elements of the story, some of which we don't realize are fantasy until they are over. Shameik Moore, who three years later would provide the voice of Miles in Spider Man: Into the Spider Verse gives a star-making performance as Malcolm and Tony Revelori, so wonderful as the bell boy in The Grand Budapest Hotel is terrific as Jib. The film requires complete attention, which doesn't always completely pay off, but I found myself really caring about this kid Malcolm, which seemed to be the primary purpose of this offbeat comedy.
Despite a slightly confusing screenplay, the 2015 comedy Dope is an undeniably stylish re-thinking of the teen angst comedies of the 80's and 90's that provides solid entertainment as long as the viewer remembers that they're watching a movie and nothing that happens here would ever happen in real life.
Set in "The Bottoms", a turbulent neighborhood in contemporary Inglewood, California, this is the story of Malcolm, a geeky and intelligent high school student who loves MTV Raps and Will Smith. Malcolm finds his life turned upside down when he and his BFFs Diggy and Jib get invited to an underground party where a violent gun battle breaks out. The next morning, Malcolm finds a large cache of drugs and a gun in his backpack which was left behind the bar.
Director and screenwriter Rick Famuyiwa has mounted an intelligent and winning story that is based on reality but the reality of Malcolm's predicament is only the blueprint for a truly unconventional cinematic trip that makes jarring and unexpected jumps from fantasy to reality and based them around a completely likable central character, whose brains and sensitivity bring to mind movie characters like Ferris Bueller and Farmer Ted in Sixteen Candles, but because he's black, the character evokes more empathy from the viewer than those white movie kids from the 80's.
Despite the likability of this central character, this film goes in so many outrageous directions that it's hard to accept that what happens to Malcolm could actually happen in real life. To be more specific, Malcolm really shouldn't have come out of this story in one piece. This is one of those movies that requires the viewer to put their brain in check and just let the events of the story roll over them. This is also one of the few films I have seen where I really enjoyed the narration...smart, funny, non-intrusive and helped to fill in story holes and speed exposition. I liked the way Famuyiwa's story would move to a certain point where questions arise for the viewer, and then go back and explain them.
The film features some imaginative camerawork and solid editing that greatly assist in the acceptance of the fantasy elements of the story, some of which we don't realize are fantasy until they are over. Shameik Moore, who three years later would provide the voice of Miles in Spider Man: Into the Spider Verse gives a star-making performance as Malcolm and Tony Revelori, so wonderful as the bell boy in The Grand Budapest Hotel is terrific as Jib. The film requires complete attention, which doesn't always completely pay off, but I found myself really caring about this kid Malcolm, which seemed to be the primary purpose of this offbeat comedy.