Movie Review – Dolemite Is My Name

Extremely black and atrociously funny

The film was a motherfucking riot. Everything next. As the posters were highly misleading, I thought I was going to witness a B grade movie which got famous in the “so bad that it’s so good” category. But to my surprise it’s a “so good” movie about a “so bad that it’s so good” movie, named ‘Dolemite’. After ‘Uncut Gems’, this has gone to be one of the greatest English features in Netflix originals. Much like ‘Uncut Gems’, ‘Dolemite Is My Name’ too has a star whom people don’t look up to for acting skills. But they both gloriously proved us wrong in their respective films.

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The film name is ‘Dolemite Is My Name’ and not ‘Dolemite is my name’, each letter has a caps because that’s how it’s said, with a stress on each word. Wish it was titled, ‘Dolemite Is My Motherfuckin’ Name’. It would have been more apt. Like a Tarantino black movie. But may be that’s why it wasn’t named as such, if it had been named ‘Dolemite Is My Motherfuckin’ Name’, people would have thought its Tarantino movie because it so looks like that.

But this movie shows what’s the difference between an ingenuine fun black movie from that of Tarantino’s. ‘Dolemite is My Name’ is so much fun because its so much black. The thinking is from their perspective so its more organic. When it comes to Tarantino black movie, he tries to glorify it by sarcasm and white troupes as bad guys. Even though his intention is genuine, the outcome is not fascinating, it gets lots in translation. Wish he does a film where he makes it just for fun and doesn’t want to stress on any point. Spike Lee on the other hand does more serious stuff but he’s a man made for that, who makes film to stress that point, so the intention here is different, even if he fails as a filmmaker, he’d not be sad because for him driving home a point comes first. Personally, I don’t approve such concept because for me black or white doesn’t matter. All I want is a thoroughly entertaining film, which all the above of them have given, just that Tarantino fails whenever he wants to drive home the ‘black’ point or makes a tribute, is disappointing.

The film has a great making technique which sure has to be appreciated. The least judgmental black film I’ve seen. There is no us vs them in the film. There is no politics. It’s just plain old life. Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) is a stand-up comedian whose jokes are dying and he’s not respected. But he doesn’t accept failure so easily. He struggles in various ways to make himself a star but fails at most of it. One day when he sees how a street dweller gets instant attention at his store, which ignites a spark in him. He ‘copies’ their jokes, uses his style and due to it, his jokes are laughed at and he becomes a phenomenon. Till that point there was certain negativity around the film. All the struggling artist acts reminded me of the recent ‘Joker’ but thankfully the ‘copying/inspiring’ act was just a flash. Even if it doesn’t sound exactly ethical, that’s the point from where he takes off. In fact, it was nice because it doesn’t sound ethical. When have we last seen a star who’s carelessly unethical? They’d be be either heroic or villainous. For Dolemite, it’s a way of life.

Dolemite then ups his ante from stand-up gigs to selling records and then to feature film. He risks everything to make it happen. Even though it may all appear silly, his gut to make it happen stands out. Generally, all the inspirational films follow the actors/stars being someone really passionate as well as talented but they don’t get what they deserve. So, they struggle real hard. But here the man is passionate alright but talented, hell no, at least not while making cinema. But through sheer love of fellow mates, he makes up one. He does everything to make it happen. The lovely thing here is he’s not desperate. He just enjoys the attention like how Windies celebrate cricket. It’s lovely to watch a storyline of a passionate man, who need to be a prodigy to succeed, it’s a lesson for everyone out there. Talented or not, you like it you do it, all comes next. The climax shot too reminded me of how Joker gets up from the burning broken shambles. Only that its pure negative energy there but a whole lot of positive energy here. Nevertheless, both were genially made with genius actors. Eddie Murphy, boy, take a motherfuckin’ bow.