Dope (2015)

[Empress1]

Anyone see this? I loved it. I loved Malcolm's essay at the end, and I love that it was about how blackness isn't a monolith. I used to get called oreo and "not really black" for doing "white shit" like getting good grades and loving to read. And it wasn't just Malcolm - Dom (A$ap Rocky was funny), who everyone things is just a dealer, rattled off some music trivia - I thought they were alluding to him being smarter than he was given credit for.

 

It's not a perfect movie. We didn't need Zoe Kravitz at all (she looks exactly like her mother with those braids). They drop her when Malcolm gets into trouble with the drugs and I didn't think we needed to come back to her. And I could have done with less Lily. But there were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. "How'm I s'pose to eat my pound cake?" And as soon as the brother pulled out the gun in the fast food joint, I knew he was going to shoot himself in the leg.

[blixie]

I want to see it this week/end it looks so fun and cute, and a throw back to my beloved House Party all the way back in the days days!

[TiffanyNichelle]

I really liked it. It reminded me a lot of how I felt at times in high school oh so many years ago.

[NoWillToResist]

I knew nothing about this movie going into it (the hubby wanted to see it). I was very pleasantly surprised. I really liked the three teens and thought they had good chemistry. Watching Malcolm fumble his way through all the drug/thug lingo and whatnot was hilarious. It was refreshing and realistic to see a character not just seamlessly blend into such a different world; he struggled and I appreciated that decision.

 

The main character's short admissions essay to Harvard was on point. That got a round of applause from our audience.

 

I also got a kick out of Dom's friend not understanding the phrase "slippery slope", having it explained to him, and then later seeing him use it correctly in a different situation! :D

Edited June 27, 2015 by NoWillToResist

[Pemyquid]

I went into this movie not knowing anything, and really enjoyed it as well. It reminded me of a modern, much more raw Ferris Bueller, and also some of those Nazi Occupation movies, in the sense that the kids were navigating a tightrope of danger and trying to survive so they could eventually get out, but they weren't dragged down by it, even learned to thrive.

The part in which one of the three amigos suggested that they take the drugs and money to the police made me laugh out loud. They did the early 90's thing so well that for the first minute I thought that it was actually set in that time.

The actor playing Malcolm impressed me - and I thoroughly enjoyed his dancing in the credits too - and I also liked the lesbian friend.

I could have done without the last line of Malcolm's essay. I imagine Harvard asks every applicant why they want to go there, even the white kids.

[blixie]

I think that line was a bit awkward, but still getting to the truth of how race impacts kids from Inglewood, that his accomplishments coming from where he does, and looking how he does, would be devalued in the eyes of Harvard admissions, was right on the money. 

 

Loved seeing Smiley from Do The Right Thing play the heavy, and that Malcolm was smart enough to get himself clear of the whole incident, reminded me of Sean Nelson in Fresh (though he wasn't in a comedy so it had a more dramatic dark ending). Overall it was great way to spend a crappy rainy cold day.

 

Also I'm now girl crushing Kiersey Clemmons.

[nicepebbles]

I saw this movie a while but forgot to post about it. LOVED IT! It may be laugh, I feared the kids getting in trouble, it surprised me. Just an all around great movie.