Sundance 2017 – Patti Cake$

Patti Cake$ is Hustle ‘n’ Flow (2005) with a sprinkle of 8 Mile (2002) and a lot of New Jersey.  This is a dirty, base-shaking, crowd-pleasing, hip-hop heavy dramedy about keeping a dream when on the grind.

Patricia Dombrowski (Danielle Macdonald), a.k.a Killa P, a.k.a. Patti Cake$ is an aspiring rapper fighting through a world of strip malls and strip clubs on a quest to make it big in the rap game.

This is a movie about the grind.  Patricia is grinding in every aspect of life.  She is grinding the hip-hop game by hopping in freestyle circles and trying to get a mixtape made.  She’s grinding at home, where her unsupportive, delusional mother (Bridgett Everett) thinks she’s a star because she crushes karaoke at a local dive bar, and her nana(Cathy Moriarty) is sick with a busted hip.  She works two jobs, one at the bar her mom belts her karaokee, and as a caterer serving high end parties.  Similar to that of last year’s Best Picture favorite, La La Land, Patti Cake$ is about someone striving for a dream and doing what they have to do to get there.

The film is almost beat for beat Hustle ‘n’ Flow, which isn’t really a bad thing, as I love that movie (it also made it’s premiere at Sundance in 2005).  Scenes of Patti and her group, PBNJ, comprised of her Indian hype-man and best friend Jheri (Siddharth Dhananjay), a gothic metal singer called Bastard (Mamoudou Athie) and her nana (that’s right, her nana), laying down a track is riveting, particularly the first track they dropped as a group, which gave me the same chills as hearing Terrence Howard rip ‘Whoop dat Trick’ for the first time.  We also get the superstar Patti looks up too who isn’t what they seem, and the ultimate fight to make it big, even when others doubt you.  

Danielle Macdonald crushes it as Patti.  Macdonald, who is actually Australian and didn’t know anything about the rap game before doing this movie, is the motor that keeps the film moving.  She gives a full range of emotion and really spits her rhymes like a pro.  Seeing Patti her happiest and most confident when she’s rapping is even more impressive knowing Macdonald’s background.  Bridgette Everette, who I’ve only known as a comedienne, gives a powerful performance as Patti’s delusional mother.  With an unfulfilled past, she still believes she has all the talent in the family and deserves all the light, getting a rush when she’s crushing it in front of the dozen people in the bar.  Everette, who has a set of lungs on her, shows that she is far more than just a comedic talent.  Dhananjay and Athie are excellent, and you can’t help but love Moriarty as Patti’s forever inspirational nana.  It is something special to see Moriarty sitting in a wheel chair with a ski mask on and throwing up a peace sign for a mixtape cover.

Patti Cake$ doesn’t break any new ground, but that doesn’t take away from the overall rousing experience.  The songs are dope, the performances are stellar, and the story is inspiring, giving us a crowd-pleasing gem.

MY REVIEW – 3/4

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