Dolemite Is My Name

A very entertaining and well acted biopic about a common man who found his luck and became the inspiration for many artists in future generations. One of those artists is Eddie Murphy who now brings Rudy Ray Moore on screen, a man who even influenced Rap and the way it developed. Murphy is fantastic and easily gives the best performance of his career. He really nailed the role and was able to completely vanish into that character. A very award worthy turn and great comeback for him. Another comeback story is Wesley Snipes who is absolutely hilarious and self ironic. Never thought he had that in him and that gives me the feeling his comedic and also dramatic talent was wasted all those years before. Another noteworthy and beautiful turn was done by Da'Vine Joy Randolph. The film itself had a very realistic and colorful look with nice production design and great costume work. The screenplay was very good as was the direction of Craig Brewer. It perfectly mixes comedic elements with dramatic moments and in its result is a very respectful and faithful biopic. Definitely worth to see and another winner feature for Netflix. Watch out for Eddie Murphy in this Oscar race. At least a Golden Globe nomination should be a given.

"Dolemite Is My Name" is a typical biopic bolstered by its implacable hilarity, its affection for its subject and its commitment to the time and place it is set. And yet, I'm still being nagged by something about his lead performance. Don't get me wrong, Murphy is very, very good, and I'd love to see him tackle Pryor next because of that. Just like Rudy Ray Moore, I buy him more than I do like Dolemite.That's probably the intention here, as Moore repeatedly says in the movie that the role is a put-on. That I keep rolling around in my head this performance says something about its staying power.Murphy isn't exactly the most charitable actor when he's the lead, a by-product of his star power, but he's here at its best when he's slyly letting the scene be stolen from below him.

"How'd my life get so small?" Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy, who's not been this good in 30 years)

Rudy Ray Moore has been called the father of rap and more certainly a force in the blaxploitation movement several decades ago. "Dolemite is My Name" is an entertaining depiction of his rise ( see the above quote at a low moment in his career) to stardom as a recording star and movie actor, but more as a force in the movie enthusiasm for sexy, violent, funny films starring blacks in stories about their own imaginative lives, not those seen through the white lens.

Nothing new is added to the docudrama recipe here, although it would seem to call for creativity itself given Rudy's imaginative genius. Yet, a fine performance by Murphy, who captures Rudy's charming enthusiasm and at times naivete (think Ed Wood), anchors the film in Rudy's genial turn of phrases and gentle put downs, an Oscar nomination for Murphy possible.

The ensemble cast deserves a nod for supporting Murphy's performance, that allows them all to be the stars they wish to be, given that his dominance as star and producer could have eclipsed their performances. The almost whimsical way everyone participates in Rudy's dream creates a warm, energetic, smooth production.

Although the bio could be accused of hitting the "follow-your-dream" theme too heavily, the story of this sometimes down-and -out record clerk is an inspiration for those who love the history of entertainment and may themselves dream of stardom. BTW: The period detail is worth seeing for itself.

Dolemite Is My Name is a production of Netflix, which has become a major studio in a few years. Although the film will be seen streaming for a longtime, this short theatrical run offers the audience a chance to see spectacular costuming and big performances on the big screen. Do it now.

Best Netflix original ever made. The entire cast was just perfect to say the least. Eddie Murphy nailed this in every way. Thank you for doing this movie.

Eddie Murphy is back on top with this biopic of Rudy Ray Moore, the hustler, shameless self-promoter of wildly cornball action-comedies of the 1970s. Murphy has finally found a character to really sink his teeth into...and Murphy relishes every moment of inhabiting the joyful and strangely charming yet naive character desperately searching to simply express himself a an entertainer of the people and for the people. His character is an outsider who elevates other outliers all searching for validation and some simple joys in the midst of working class America.

Murphy is funny, charming, and touching as this flawed heroic character. He deserves all the acclaim for bringing this story back to life and surrounding himself with talented ensemble cast and strong direction and wonderfully zany costumes of the 70s era.

This film is at times foul and other times touching and it deserves your attention throughout as it revels in the joys of telling a story deserving to be told and to be relished and enjoyed by anyone searching for an escape from the mundane or cynical stories prevalent in movies of today.