Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) has but one dream, to become famous, which is why he has moved to LA - but whatever he tries, nothing seems to stick, be it singing, standup comedy or vaudeville acts. But then he stumbles upon a hobo poet making up rhymes about a super pimp called Dolemite that entertain everybody, and he figures if he can refine his rhymes and bring them to the stage, making Dolemite his alter ego, people will come. So he does, and it works, becoming a superstar in his black neighbourhood pretty much overnight. He tries to get a record deal, but everybody tells him his act is too full of profanity to ever make it on the radio - and thus he has records pressed himself and sells them out of his car trunk in his community, with quite some success. This gets the (white) Bihari brothers (Aleksandar Filimonovic, Ivo Nandi, Michael Peter Bolus, Kazy Tauginas) interested, as they see profit to be made - and they don't only encourage him to make more records, they also send him on a tour through black neighbourhoods all over the country. Rudy's a smashing success!

However, soon enough, doing the same routine evening after evening isn't enough for Rudy anymore, he wants to have his face on the big screen - and launches his own film project, Dolemite. Sure, he doesn't know the first thing about filmmaking, and neither do his friends, but what he has is enthusiasm - and eventually he can win over blaxploitation superstar D'Urville Martin (Wesley Snipes) to be his director and co-star. The shoot though is an absolute disaster, with very little going right, and D'Urville repeatedly losing it over the unproffessionalism of it all, but they manage to finish the film ... which then nobody wants to release, and Rudy, having his own money in it, pretty much faces bankrupcy and all his dreams shattered - until a radio DJ (Chris Rock) suggests to him to just stage his own screening - an idea that might make or break Rudy for good ...

You don't have to be a fan of Rudy Ray Moore to like this movie, you don't even have to find his routines funny (truth to be told, their historical significance and influence on rap music as a whole notwithstanding, they seem topical and dated in 2019) to get enjoyment out of this, as it's just a very well-crafted bio-pic that - in line with its topic - is comical above all else, and that shows Eddie Murphy in great form delivering one of his most nuanced performances. And above that, it really gives you a feel of the time and circumstances - and that's not even to say everything's 100 accurate, but the set designs, costumes and especially the music seem to be right out of a 1970s blaxploitation flick. Sure, this might not be the best bio pic ever, and it does take some creative license, but it's sure mighty good entertainment!

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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