DOPE is not an easy film to position even though it will be typecast as a “Black Picture”
It comes off this year’s Sundance Film Festival where it not only played as a critical hit but as an audience favorite as well.
How to describe it?
Three young black dudes are trying to survive in the tough neighborhood of Inglewood, California. They’re trying to juggle working towards their college applications and academic futures with staying cool and in touch with the streets where the hood reeks of drugs, cool sneakers, gun fights and gangsta hip-hop.
They may be dope but only up to a point—ultimately being themselves, especially Malcom (Shameik Moore) after being messed with by the gang bangers and set up with a heavy stack of ecstasy in his backpack.
But it’s not all hard boiled doings here.
What makes this film fun to watch is the contrast between these three nerds and the stereotypes running the hood from which they’re trying to ultimately break away.
A scene dealing with the contradictions of the use of the N-word when used by white people versus its OVERUSE by the black folks is….well, interesting.
Co-produced by Sean Diddy Combs and produced by Forest Whitaker, what we’ve got here is the soundtrack of a generation trying to come to grips with itself. And speaking of the soundtrack itself—as the title implies it’s dope.
Fans of THE BUDAPEST HOTEL will recognize Tony Revolori from his role as the bellboy.
The comedy-drama brings flashes of BOYZ IN THE HOOD meets DAZED AND CONFUSED to mind.
DOPE opens citywide to a score of C+.
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings at 6:40 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. on 98.1FM, KMBZ and anytime on Facebook.
kcc likely not the target audience for this pix Jack. Hah.