Very well acted and exciting music biopic

Rating: 8/10 (4 September 2015)

Set in the racially divisive cauldron that was South Central Los Angeles of the late 80's, five young black guys from the inner city suburb of Compton formed a hip hop group which would go on to revolutionise popular music. Straight Outta Compton is the biopic about the band labelled 'The World's Most Dangerous Group', namely N.W.A. They only lasted as a functioning outfit for a very short time but their impact has been lasting and profound. In many ways, their aggressive socially aware music and image did for hip hop what the earlier punk band the Sex Pistols did for rock music. In that they created a brand of direct uncompromising music that acted as a call to arms for many, while leading the band themselves into direct trouble with the authorities of their country. What followed of course was the rise of the popularity of rap music to the point that at one stage it was the most popular form of music on the planet.
N.W.A was made up of five individuals, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella, are all portrayed distinctively here with particular emphasis put on the first three, seeing as they were the most prominent members. The cast is superb, with a charismatic turn put in from Corey Hawkins as Dre, Jason Mitchell captures the quirky nature of Eazy-E and O'Shea Jackson Jr. is extremely convincing playing his real life dad, Ice Cube, who he has an uncanny resemblance to. Rounding things off is the always impressive Paul Giamatti in the role of Jerry Heller the bands manager – he is portrayed poorly yet never one dimensionally negatively, as he is shown to defend N.W.A when they are harassed and demeaned by the L.A. cops. Overall, the acting is of a very high calibre. The film essentially charts N.W.A's quick rise and fast implosion, with some focus on their highly confrontational debut LP, Straight Outta Compton, which included the song F*** Tha Police which led the group to national infamy and harassment from various law enforcements around the U.S.A. as well as a threat from the FBI. I remember at the time the controversy this song caused, yet only a couple of years later the world watched open mouthed at the footage of Rodney King being savagely beaten by the LAPD, leading to the guilty cops being shamelessly let off by the justice system which led to the L.A. Riots. It seems that N.W.A's song was talking of a truth that made a lot of people very uncomfortable but it was a truth nevertheless. This film works partly as a critique of America, in its highlighting of topics like police brutality and the unwillingness of the authorities to allow freedom of speech about such an issue.
The film also looks at the gangsta rap (aka reality rap) scene more generally, with appearances from recording artists like Snoop Dogg and Tupac, while Suge Knight and his label Death Row Records comes off very badly and seems to represent some genuinely negative elements of the rap genre. As the film progresses the melodrama increases as the band splinters off and public fights ensue between ex-members. But some of the most impressive moments are the scenes involving the music itself. There is particularly powerful concert footage of a Detroit show which was ultimately stopped by the police. Whether you are a fan of rap or not, it's hard to not appreciate the sheer excitement of this type of music when it is delivered so aggressively and committedly. By the end, it takes a depressing turn with the death of Eazy-E due to AIDS and the film doesn't sugar coat this, much to its credit. Overall, this is a pretty dynamic and exciting music biopic and is delivered with some gusto, although I often felt that if anything it downplayed the incendiary nature of N.W.A a little. But, whatever the case, this remains an excellent film which tells a story that fully justifies its big screen treatment.