It’s that time of year again. Actors and film-makers are pounding the awards-campaign trails, publicists are dashing off for-your-consideration adverts and voters are desperately catching up with 2019’s most acclaimed releases. You guessed it: Oscar season is right around the corner, and even sooner this time with the ceremony’s earlier-than-usual 9 February airdate. From Booksmart to A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, these are the movies you need to know about. The race is on...
Dolemite Is My Name
What’s it about?
The real-life blaxploitation-era comedian Rudy Ray Moore who, against all odds, cobbled together the capital, cast and crew to make a rollicking movie about his lewd on-stage persona Dolemite, turning his underground-rapper celebrity into serious box-office cachet.
Who’s in it?
Eddie Murphy stars as the foul-mouthed jokester alongside fellow funny men Keegan-Michael Key, Wesley Snipes, Craig Robinson and Tituss Burgess.
Why should you watch it?
In its uplifting retelling of underdogs scrambling to achieve their glitzy movie-making dreams, Dolemite Is My Name is a quintessentially Hollywood narrative. Murphy infuses the self-made man with a tenderness that emerges through his inflated façade. If you liked The Disaster Artist – a comparable behind-the-scenes tale that sees the Franco brothers co-star as the misguided film-makers behind The Room – you’ll love this.
Who has awards buzz?
There are so many comeback narratives this awards season (from Renée Zellweger to Shia LaBeouf) that Eddie Murphy and his mature, authoritative turn as Rudy Ray Moore could be in with a shot. The vibrant Seventies costumes, designed by this year’s Oscar-winner Ruth E Carter (Black Panther), should also gain traction.
‘Dolemite Is My Name’ is available on Netflix now.
