Now, I know this might seem like a shock to some of my dedicated fans, but I know next to nothing about the rap group N.W.A. Needless to say, I was blown away by the sheer talent stuffed into one group.
I love seeing films without knowing anything going in. In this day and age, staying away from trailers is difficult enough, not to mention set photos and rumors leaking left and right. I didn’t pay much attention to Straight Outta Compton. So when I got an invitation to see it, I eagerly accepted knowing I’d be going in blind.
What Straight Outta Compton manages to accomplish as far as well paced storytelling goes is incredible. It’s a long film, but never feels like it’s dragging. The movie has a compelling story and happens to take 2 hours and 26 minutes to tell it.
Biopics are a tricky business. Trying to tell an entire life story in the course of two hours usually leaves the viewer with a film that skims the surface of a compelling story, without diving into deeper waters (see: 42, Lee Daniel’s The Butler, Jobs). Straight Outta Compton shows the rise and fall of N.W.A., without jumping too far ahead or too far behind. This type of filmmaking allows for longer scenes which let the audience feel a bit more excitement when a moment comes to fruition. Understanding the setup is just as important as the punchline is what sets Straight Outta Compton apart.
My favorite example of this comes when N.W.A. is playing a show in Detroit. The concert begins with a stern talking to from the Detroit police department explicitly telling them not to play the song “F*** the Police”. Imagine that. In any other biopic, they might’ve cut to N.W.A. doing exactly what you think they’d do. Instead, we’re treated to a bit more of the concert and a powerful moment of realization between Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) and Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins) that allows F. Gary Gray to showcase these two incredible talents. When N.W.A. finally plays “F*** the Police,” they’re a group willing to speak their truth even if it upsets people instead of a group that just doesn’t want to play by the rules. They have a message to get across and subsequently they’re going against authority, not the other way around.
This truth is shaped by their life experiences. There’s a moment when the group is standing outside their recording studio - eating lunch - and three police cars come by and tell them to stop, get on the ground, and put their hands behind their back. This is a reality I can’t and will never understand. But through F. Gary Gray’s wonderful direction, and a pretty beefy selection of songs to choose from, I started to gain insight and understanding of this aggression that stems from injustice.
It would’ve been easy to portray just the good parts of N.W.A. But Straight Outta Compton doesn’t shy away from the reality of this lifestyle. I however will. Giving it away would ruin some of the most powerful moments in the film.
Like most films that aren’t Whiplash, there are a few problems. The movie becomes a bit overdramatic at parts, and certain plot points are left dangling. But the emotion that spills into every aspect of this film more than compensate.
The making and timing of Straight Outta Compton are as powerful as they are important. The performances are as out of - sorry, outta - nowhere as the group itself. The film arrives at the intersection of compelling subject matter and terrific filmmaking, and the result is something as powerful as it is entertaining. A-
