It's a testament to the charm of Eddie Murphy that he makes the lead character of Dolemite Is My Name warm and sympathetic, despite that person's crude and sexist comedy. Along with a strong supporting cast, a lush period production design, and a well-structured script, this makes for a thoroughly entertaining film.
Murphy plays Rudy Ray Moore, a real life nightclub comic whose act was an early form of rapping. Wanting to break into the movies, he used his own money and a group of friends and volunteers to make outrageous cult Blaxploitation comedy Dolemite.
Moore offstage is often shown as a world away from his onstage persona, particularly through the character of Lady Reed. After meeting her in a bar following a show and hearing about her life of single motherhood, Moore encourages Reed to get on stage and tell her stories. When she becomes part of his show, she is always treated as an equal. Murphy effortlessly switches between the brash showman, and warm human being who understands and empathises with those who going through tough times. There are references to Moore's childhood, particularly an abusive stepfather who told him he would never amount to anything, but this is never turned into a simplistic single driving force behind Moore's ambition.
I know nothing about the real life Moore, and as it's a biopic I assume some liberties are taken with events and people. But, as a drama it's well constructed, taking time to establish the characters and their goals, and giving them plenty of obstacles to overcome along the way.
One of the best scenes is Ray and his friends sitting in a packed cinema watching Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in The Front Page. They are baffled at how the white folks in the audience are falling about laughing at something they find unfunny. Looking behind him, Moore becomes transfixed on the light from the projector, until it becomes like a divine luminance from above, giving him an epiphany about the next stage of his career.
Dolemite Is My Name made me think of two other films about filmmaking. Firstly, Ed Wood, Tim Burton's biopic about the cult 50s director. Like Moore, Wood is always optimistic, and will not take no for an answer. Both believe a person can reinvent themselves through sheer force of will.
The other is Sullivan’s Travels, Preston Sturges 1941 comedy. In it, John Sullivan, is a filmmaker who wants to leave behind the world of "mere" entertainment and make highbrow, socially conscious films. Eventually Sullivan has a change of heart and comes to the conclusion that "... there's a lot to be said for making people laugh". My Name is Dolemite has a similar conflict, through the character of Jerry Jones. The writer of the Dolemite screenplay, he wants to make a gritty thriller showing the realities of urban black life. Moore's instincts are towards entertainment, giving the audience a laugh and a few hours relief from their daily lives.
