At some point in our lives, almost all of us feel like outsiders. That outsider status can be alienating enough on its own, but when it can also get you killed, life becomes a harrowing game of survival. That experience is what writer/director Rick Famuyiwa explores in his new film, Dope. What’s really surprising is how funny investigating that premise can be. The movie is a fresh, hilarious, and heartfelt take on growing up in the hood, and what that means for kids whose only familiarity with “dope” is using the word to describe their favorite obsession: early 90s hip hop culture. Famuyiwa uses comedy to explore a unique cultural experience, but he also employs a serious tone, and never lets the latter slip away into overblown melodrama. His talent has produced a coming-of-age story for a new generation.
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The sequel to the 2012 hit Pitch Perfect – which I marginally liked – is so desperate to entertain that it becomes a tonal mess amid all the clashing performances. Combined with a profoundly mean-spirited sense of humor, Pitch Perfect 2 is a slog to get through. Thankfully, the movie does the musical numbers skillfully, which was a highlight of the first film, too. Otherwise this sequel is a disappointment.
The movie starts with an ill-fated performance by our heroes – female a cappella singing group, the Barden University Bellas – at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Using the magic of fairly unconvincing stock footage, President and First Lady Obama are in attendance to see Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) flash her crotch in front of the entire black-tie-festooned audience. Pitch Perfect 2 is not an exercise in subtlety. As a result of the inevitable media firestorm that ensues, the Bellas are punished with something even worse than Delta House’s Double Secret Probation: They are forbidden from holding tryouts for new members, and all their future appearances on the a cappella performance circuit are cancelled.
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