Straight outta somethin’
Most biopics resort to a “greatest hits” approach to condense a life into a movie: a few childhood scenes guessing at events that shaped the subject’s psychology, followed by a few documented events, leading to the big finish — usually the thing the subject is best known for.
Painfully expository dialogue gluing the pieces together tends to make such films feel less like “Lust for Life” than “Behind the Music.” What’s missing tends to be the album tracks, the jazz, the loose, reactive, spontaneous moments that make up life.
Universal’s “Straight Outta Compton,” depicting the rise of seminal gangsta rappers N.W.A., has a chance to diss the mold. Why should it stick to the genre? There aren’t many rap biopics (“8 Mile” being the most famous), and the protagonists are music-world outlaws. But will it? The film didn’t screen by press time, so the only evidence is in lines from the trailers:
“Spinnin’ records ain’t payin’ the bills around here.”
“I don’t know anything about hip-hop, but I know that you’re special.”
“You have a unique voice. The world needs to hear it.” “You are witnessing history.” “Our art is a reflection of our reality.”
Should the film be judged by the clunkiest lines in trailers? Of course not. But before you get too outraged, dear reader, savor this last drop of wisdom from the source:
“Speak a little truth and people lose their minds.”