A small, barely-budgeted, homegrown film, Steamin' and Dreamin': The Grandmaster Cash Story is a satire of Irish hip-hop culture told through the medium of the mockumentary.
Up until the closing credits, Steamin' and Dreamin': The Grandmaster Cash Story is an entirely straight-faced faux documentary detailing the hip-hop career of small time Cork rapper Grandmaster Cash. The film follows his exploits and struggle to achieve fame amidst negative critical reception and an unwelcoming local music scene.
The driving force of the movie is, of course, the laugh factor. After an entirely serious introductory piece delivered by our narrator and chief documentarian Seamus Kelly, we get to first sample Cash's lyrics against the backdrop of well shot scenes of Cork City and surroundings. The entertaining juxtaposition of the absurdity and graphic detail of Cash's words with the scenes of black and white urban mundanity gives the first indication to all those unsure that we are in for an hilarious ride. From the moment our eponymous hero comes on screen, we struggle not to miss a word amidst the side splitting rapid fire humour of malapropisms, cultural ignorance, and sheerly ridiculous claims of a disillusioned madman. Intermingled in this are interviews with locals, both known and not, weaving our narrative into the barrage of riotous laughter engendered by Cash's increasingly bizarre philosophies. The film benefits from wonderful deadpan acting, the three main characters entirely believable and lovable in their own unique ways. The scenes of interaction between Cash and rival Dr Feekinstein provide perhaps the best of the film, their deleterious insults of each other matched only by the wonders of Kelly's escalating impatience. Benefiting from an exceptional script, the film is ninety minutes of non-stop laughs with a warming and simple story as its core, and the effective slandering of the real life people it satirises achieved wonderfully.
Brilliantly written, expertly delivered, and fantastically captured, Steamin' and Dreamin': The Grandmaster Cash Story is a near-perfect comedy, containing intellectual and subtle gags mixed in with the lascivious vulgarity which works just as well to keep us firmly on the floor. A shining testament to the potential which can be achieved without resources, the outtake laden credits demonstrate just how much fun can be had in the process of making a truly great film.
