Gritty, inspiring and impressive

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2019)

This is one of the best movies I've seen in recent years. I missed it at the cinema, as I was doubtful it would be any good but having now seen it three times, I thought I'd add this review.
I had bought the album of the same name some years ago but never knew the background story, which turns out to be very inspiring and thoroughly engaging.
Rap legends Dr Dre, Ice Cube and Easy E formed NWA in the late 80s. This biopic tells the riveting story of the band and their stereotypically manipulative manager Jerry Heller and we see some appearances from other characters along the way, like Snoop Dog, Suge Knight and Jimmy Iovine. It focusses on the formation of the band, their music and the events which drove their creativity. Fans of the original album, like myself, will probably get bonus enjoyment from seeing some tracks performed during the movie.
The gangster myth surrounding the band is put in the spotlight here. These kids were no saints but they weren't hardened gang members and had the sense and drive to take their lives in the right direction. There's little difference, aside from the music, between the likes of NWA and other controversial bands like Motley Crue, yet the establishment's prejudice saw them as thugs and criminals.
It's nothing entirely new - other band stories follow a similar theme of inception, climb to fame, controversy and turmoil, band splits, etc. but Straight Outa Compton has fantastic performances from all the cast - especially Jason Mitchell and Paul Giamatti - and is gripping on three levels.
The first is witnessing the birth of the joint genius of Dr Dre, Cube and Easy E and where it takes them as the story unfolds. The second is the rise of the band and the usual issues that arise from fame and money in the music industry. The third and most powerful is the band's battle against the authorities and, in particular, the FBI. There are no dull moments in this movie and, at nearly 150 minutes, is a solid achievement for the writers and director F Gary Gray.
Don't expect the uplifting vibes of Bohemian Rhapsody. It's aptly gritty in places and the movie's tone is in keeping with the hard edge of the band's music.
For me, it does justice to their story and is an impressive film.