Sundance Review: PATTI CAKE$ Was a Surprisingly Entertaining and Fantastic Film
A poor struggling white girl living in New Jersey with dreams of being a successful rap star? Nah. Patti Cake$ was a movie that didnt initially interest me. The premise just didnt seem like something I would be into, and I didnt conceive on seeing it, but then the buzz at Sundance started to broadcast, everyone was talking about, and I was being told I had to see it.
Reluctantly, and with low expectations, I grudgingly walked into the theater and sat down hoping that I wasnt going to waste my time because time is precious.
Well, like the old saying goes, never evaluate a book by its cover because Patti Cake$ was fan-freakin-tastic! This film was the shit, and it ended up being one of my favorite movies at Sundance this year. It was so much fun to watch, and from beginning to end it was hilariously entertaining.
The best movie I could compare it to is 8 Mile, but this one was even better because it had a uniqueness about it with its amusing and fun characters, comedic and dramatic tone, and kick ass music.
The movie follows a young woman named Patricia Killa P Dombrowski doing her best to survive in life by working two jobs and taking care of her mom and Nana and the medical bills that need to be paid. As a way to relieve the pressure shes under she raps, and shes good at it. Shes a big white girl who grew up being called nasty nicknames, and it carried on into her adulthood where people still treat her like shit. She stands up for herself, though, and doesnt back down when shes challenged to a rap battle. She just rips into those people who tear her down.
As Killa Ps journey in the story goes on, she forms a small group with musical talent to create a demo that will help get them noticed in hopes that it will lead them to fulfilling their dreams of making it big.
This group forms a tight bond, but it isnt without its hard times. But they are able to push through those rough times and create some pretty spectacular music. The music is one of the main things that sells this film because its just so damn entertaining and fun.
The actress who plays Killa P, Danielle Macdonald, kills it in this role! Shes awesome and she did such a great job spitting out the lyrics to the music. This is one wonderfully talented individual.
The film tells a wonderful feel good story of never giving up and working hard and making sacrifices to fulfill your dreams. I think this is a movie that audiences will esteem if they give it a chance. Its definitely worth checking out so make sure to do that when its released!
Patricia Killa P Dombrowski drafts rhymes behind the bar at a dingy dive, trying to pay off her hard but beloved Nanas medical bills and support her hard-drinking mom, whose own musical aspirations failed long ago. Patti and her rap partner/best friend Jheri share dreams of fame, fortune, and escaping Dirty Jersey for good, but they havent found a producer with the "fire beats" they need. Unbroken by the taunts of local goons, she unexpectedly gravitates to a reclusive goth-metal musician named Basterd, a newcomer who just might be able to help Patti achieve hip-hop superstardom.