‘Dolemite is my name’- Movie on “Godfather of rap” is a blast
There doesn’t seem to be any middle path with biopics- either you like one or you don’t. At least, that’s how it is with me.
‘Dolemite is my name’(2019) is a biopic of an unusual kind in that it tells the story of an unusual man- Rudy ray Moore.
For the uninitiated, Moore is a Blaxploitation maverick who performed as the character Dolemite in his stand-up performances and later in movies, the first of which-termed just ‘Dolemite’ which was released in 1975.
In the 2019 movie that’s both an odd to and a celebration of the colourful character that was Moore, he is played by Eddie Murphy.
I am sure that you’ve heard it said that this is Murphy’s best performance in a long time- and that’s certainly true.
When the movie starts, we find Moore spending his time as a clerk at a small record store, in the wrong side of his forties, sporting a pot belly on a body that’s not exactly cut out for the big screen- not if you compare him with conventional film actors.
But nothing is going to stand between Moore and the fame that he craves-neither the fact that his MC gig at a local bar barely has the audience noticing let alone chuckling,neither the fact he barely makes enough money to make ends meet.
He takes the first solid step towards fame literally on the streets- by recording jokes told by homeless men who lived in the streets around the record store where he works.
He then creates the persona of Dolemite- who in his colourful garb looks more like a pimp than a comedian, and delivers the rambunctious, profanity-laden jokes he learned from the homeless men with more verve than talent, so that he has his audiences floored.
When record producers refuse to publish his comedy for public consumption because of their supposed vile nature, he goes ahead and makes and sells them out of the back of a truck.
When he becomes something of a comedic sensation, he sets his eyes higher- on the big screen of dimly lit walls of movie halls, to be precise.
He stakes his entire future profits from his comedic records on his first film production, ‘Dolemite’ which he makes with a handful of friends and more than a smattering of ‘will-do’ attitude.
He brings to his film production the same mix of lack of talent and zany enthusiasm for comedy which made him a stand up comedic sensation. Against the established critics’ better judgment, ‘Dolemtite’- a movie that mixed comedy and kung fu among other things in a near plotless run time -went on to earn $10 million in the box office($50 million in today’s terms.)
The idea of saying no to anyone who tells you can’t become whatever you wish to is an idea that Murphy’s Moore reiterates many times in the film to different characters. By all means, that idea is something that drives many souls to places like LA and Mumbai in search of their moment in the spotlight. And many more than those who actually make it come out of the endeavour in a bad shape.
But Moore in the movie has an inner drive to prove his father- who always said he would amount to nothing- wrong. And that grounding gives the character a dimension and depth that are generally lacking in many biopics that are purportedly ‘intimate portrayals of their subjects.’
And the warmth that this depth of character gives him is one of the key reasons you can’t help but like this movie.
With some ridiculously funny scenes, played by Murphy with panache, ‘Dolemite is my name’ is a blast to watch.
That’s especially since Moore’s swagger and his style of dialogue delivery have earned him the title ‘Godfather of rap.’ And anything that’s got to do with one of the most powerful musical genres around has to be a blast, don’t you agree?
But that’s not to say the film is without flaws.
Certain scenes come across a little drawn out and could have used some trimming. Also, I wish Eric Steelberg’s cinematography had reflected the virtuosic energy that Moore brings to his projects. As it is, the camera work that relies on conventional blocking techniques makes the film look like it could have made any time in the last three or four decades- a far cry from the crazy innovations of the movie’s subject matter.
But those are pardonable sins in a movie that’s full of life and joy to spread.
