ReelBob: ‘Dolemite Is My Name’ ★★★★

By Bob Bloom

Rudy Ray Moore was a dreamer. He wanted to make it in show business in the worst way — and, in a manner of speaking, he did.

“Dolemite Is My Name” is the infectiously delightful story of how Moore rose from a failed nightclub emcee to a media sensation, through wit, fast-talk and the adoption of a foul-mouthed persona.

The movie is directed by Craig Brewer, who helmed the rags-to-riches “Hustle and Flow,” and written by Larry Karaszewski and Scott Anderson, who collaborated on “Ed Wood,” Tim Burton’s affectionate tribute to the bizarre filmmaker.

“Dolemite” places Eddie Murphy back in the spotlight, providing him with a character he can recognize and embrace.

As Moore, Murphy is smart, ambitious, profane and very  self-confident.

Murphy’s Moore is a hustler, doing whatever he can to make a dent into show biz.

After his stand-up act bombs, and being desperate for success, Moore pays a group of winos to tell him the obscene fables he formerly ignored when the bums were panhandling.

Adapting these fables, Moore creates the character of Dolemite, a pimp with a cane and a stash of dirty stories.

When his character is a hit at the nightclub, he decides to try for a recording career, but no mainstream label will touch his material.

Undeterred, Moore and his friends press their own records, which they successfully sell as “party records.” With his records selling, Moore then decides to bring Dolemite to the big screen.

He is not concerned that he doesn’t know anything about filmmaking.

And that is one of the charms of “Dolemite Is My Name”; the supreme self-assurance that Murphy channels as Moore. Murphy knows how flighty an entertainment career can be. Despite his making a splash with such movies as “Trading Places,” “48 HRS.,” “Coming to America” and “Beverly Hills Cops,” his later movies, such as “Vampire in Brooklyn” and “The Adventures of Pluto Nash,” demoted him from the A-list of bankable stars.

His performance as Moore should elevate him back on that list — and could earn Murphy an Academy Award nomination.

At one point in the movie, Moore says, “I want the world to know I exist.” After this film, people will remember Murphy is around.

The best parts of “Dolemite Is My Name” center on the making of the movie. Moore doesn’t know a camera from a can opener, nor does he have a script.

But he convinces a social justice-minded playwright, Jerry Jones, played by Keegan-Michael Key, to create a screenplay and then persuades Jones to recruit some of his filmmaking students to serve as the crew.

Moore’s biggest coup is inducing actor D’Urville Martin, a campy Wesley Snipes, to play the movie’s heavy, as well as direct the project.

Adding to the merriment are Craig Robinson, Kodi Smit-McPhee and, especially, Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Moore’s friends and helpers. Randolph, principally, stands out as a heavy-set woman who lacks self-confidence, and later displays a heavy dose of conviction she received from Moore.

“Dolemite Is My Name” is a story about optimism. No matter how many roadblocks Moore runs into, he somehow overcomes them.

The turning point comes, of all places in Indianapolis, where Moore finally finds a theater that will show his movie. It becomes an overnight phenomenon, encouraging a movie-distribution company that handles blaxploitation features to book it nationally.

“Dolemite Is My Name” is a joyous experience. If you want to see it in theaters, you better hurry, as it will play one week, then begin airing Oct. 25 on Netflix.

But no matter where you see it, “Dolemite Is My Name” is an unforgettable and festive feature that will keep you engaged from beginning to end.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

DOLEMITE IS MY NAME
4 stars out of 4
(R), language, nudity, sexual situations