The biopic is very tiring to me, as there really isn't anything new that the genre could give to its audiences, other than often Oscar-baiting performances. Or so I thought until I was vastly impressed by Netflix's new Dolemite Is My Name. This film is an astounding biopic that adds refreshing elements to make it actually stand out amongst the rest. With Eddie Murphy making a triumphant return to the screen in this hilarious role, this film was much more entertaining than it had any right to be. While the narrative itself is extremely by-the-numbers, the pure comedy and refreshing believability that this whole cast exhibit was all that it took to get me invested into this story. Not to mention that I actually learned something new (about the blaxploitation film era), which is more than I can say for other films in this genre. While some of the dialogue and arcs can be a bit clichéd, there is no denying that this was the perfect vehicle for Murphy to make his comeback.
After releasing multiple albums of his rhyming and obscene comedy hits, Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) decides that he wants to do something more than just standup comedy with his career. Upon realizing that audiences see the same, boring, white people do the same, boring, white people stuff in movies, he decides that he wants to try his hand at adapting his stage character named Dolemite to the big screen. With the help of his friends Jimmy (Mike Epps), Ben (Craig Robinson), Toney (Tituss Burgess), a screenwriter named Jerry (Keegan-Michael Key), and famed actor/director D'Urville Martin (Wesley Snipes), they set out to make one of the most classic cult films of the whole blaxploitation era. The only film that comes to mind when I discuss how effective this film is would be James Franco's The Disaster Artist. These two movies share a lot of similarities with how simultaneously educational and entertaining their subject matters were presented. While they both talk of the behind the scenes story of some cult-classic films, Dolemite Is My Name is much more centered on telling Moore's career story as well as the making of the film. This part of the script is what I adored the most, as the audience really gets a better look into what made Rudy Ray Moore such a cinematic icon in the 1970s. This balance of the two stories was amazing and elevates this movie into something more than just a true story. The humor that is infused in this film is also done so cleverly, in both the meta-recreation of the scenes and in its own self-aware goofiness. The whole cast puts in their all and knows that the story they are telling is mostly lighthearted, but has its fair amount of genuine drama too. Another huge aspect of biopics that gets on my nerves is when they start out and show the protagonist as a child and their upbringing. While this is good for any future callbacks and development of them as a person, it has almost become unbearable to see this kind of storytelling. I am so glad that this film avoided that trope and instead, like a better-written film, explored Moore's childhood through its dialogue and subtleties in Murphy's performance while focusing on his career ups and downs as its timeline.
A biopic made to tell the story of a famous musician/actor/celebrity can only go so far with its creativity while still being able to tell its basic story, however. This is really the only point in which Dolemite Is My Name has any issue. This film brings so much more to the table than one would expect, but the dialogue and overall direction from Craig Brewer were fairly generic and very risk-averse. This kind of storytelling is effective regardless, but I wish that some more creative choices with the editing or cinematography would have been present to keep my visual interest a bit more sustained. This does not change, however, how powerful and flexible Murphy is with his performance as Moore. Murphy's incredible portrayal of the late comedy star was the perfect way for him to come back to making movies. Murphy was able to elegantly showcase his signature, dazzling comedy while also giving off a surprisingly solid dramatic side. I would not be surprised if he picks up a nomination in February, as his performance was so all-encompassing of the kind of man that Moore actually was. While this biopic focuses on its lead and supporting characters, the subplots and accompanying themes were great as well. I loved how Dolemite Is My Name touches on so many different problems with Hollywood at this time, including the misrepresentation of black culture in film, over-sexualization of women, and exploitation of the genre by white producers and studio heads. There is not much that we as audience members can do to go back in time and fix these problems that Moore faced, but the fact that the film addressed them and showed how aware Moore was from the start was very important.
Dolemite Is My Name is a fantastic and wildly entertaining biopic surrounding the career highs and lows of Rudy Ray Moore, comedy and film legend. With some incredible performances from the entire cast, particularly Murphy and Snipes, this film is undoubtedly one of the best pieces of art that Netflix has put out this year. From its historical accuracy and presentation to its funky soundtrack, this is how you tell a true story.
My Rating: ★★★½
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