- It's been a long time since I smiled through an entire movie, but Craig Brewer's Dolemite is My Name had me grinning the entire time. A huge fraction of the film's success stems from its absolutely inspired casting of Eddie Murphy, who delivers what may honestly be the best film performance of his career as that unsurpassed prince of profanity, Rudy Ray Moore. Murphy has never been one to melt into a role, but after a few minutes of watching him strut around and perfectly capture Moore's comedic cadences, I realized that Murphy's films have generally underutilized his remarkable penchant for impersonations (James Brown, Mr. T, and Bill Cosby all come to mind). Add in the fact that both Murphy and Moore faced substantial public criticism for their vulgarity, and it's suddenly impossible to imagine anyone but Murphy portraying Moore in his biopic.
- Moore's life story is relatively straightforward in that he set out to make money by entertaining as many people as possible, which he eventually did through a mix of uproarious party albums and not-so-great feature films. Moore never seemed to have much money, but he did possess an unshakeable confidence that the film alternately portrays as inspiring and misplaced. Surrounding him were a talented and supportive group of friends (Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess), a socially conscious writer (Keegan-Michael Key), and a charismatic diamond in the rough (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), all of whom helped Moore to achieve his dreams. Oh, and there was actor/director D'Urville Martin (Wesley Snipes), who barely managed to be sober enough to yell "cut" at the end of every scene. Seriously, Murphy and Snipes are better than they've been in the past 25 years, and I hope this marks the start of a successful new phase for both of their careers.
- Casting aside, the filmmakers are also to be commended for correctly realizing that Rudy Ray Moore's life demands to be presented as a comedy. Although he suffers a few notable setbacks, at one point living in the dilapidated hotel that doubles as his movie studio and business office, the film never lets the heaviness of his difficult childhood or his various impediments to success get in the way of a good laugh. After all, Moore was a man who derived inspiration (and his star character's name!) from the ribald ramblings of a homeless man. He released his own albums because everybody else thought they were too crude for respectable record stores to carry. In the end, he achieved success on his own terms, and yes, as the film concludes, "continued fucking up motherfuckers until the day he died."
- Also featuring Snoop Dogg, Chris Rock, T.I., Luenell, Bob Odenkirk, and Barry Shabaka Henley.
