For me, Dolemite Is My Name (2019) was a good time. I was predisposed to like it because of the writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. They wrote one of my favourite movies, Ed Wood, and the easy comparison was that this was a Blaxploitation version of that biopic. There’s a similar structure with supporting characters saying, “What are you going to do now?” to the outlandish protagonist and then the next scene, our heroic dreamer perseveres over the next set back. But there’s a difference with the character of comedian Rudy Ray Moore – the middle aged night club comedian who plans to transfer his act as the foul-mouthed, pimp-styled Dolemite into a low budget film – played by Eddie Murphy (who also produced the biopic). I loved that Moore keeps getting pissed off and grouchy, even when things are happening for him, and Murphy makes this frustrated quality both funny and truthful. Some of the supporting performances are a bit sketch comedy broad, but Murphy and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (as fellow comedian Lady Reed) are really good, very funny but also grounded in reality, letting you into their sense of desperation as they hustle their dreams into reality. Directed by Craig Brewer with a great supporting cast (Tituss Burgess, Wesley Snipes, Keegan Michael Key, Snoop Dogg, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Bob Odenkirk, etc), this is a fun party of a movie and a loving testament to the cult legend of Rudy Ray Moore. Available to stream on Netflix.
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