Whatever
it is, Patti Cake$ has it. The modern
musical is full of defied stereotypes, perseverance, dream-chasing, and of
course, music. The original songs that make up the soundtrack of the movie are
so catchy that they’ll be stuck in your head for hours after you leave the
theater.
The
film centers around a 23 year-old plus-sized woman that has an unexpected
talent, the gift of rhythm. Patricia (Danielle Macdonald) wants to be a rapper.
However, she lacks the means to do so because she is working around the clock
to help pay her Nana’s (Cathy Moriarty) medical bills. Meanwhile her mother
(Bridget Everett) is often busy out on the town, looking for a man to ease her
loneliness. Every night as she sleeps, Patricia escapes into her dreams. Her
uniquely-shot dream land consists of green smoke and an introduction by her
hero, O-Z (Sahr Ngaujah). This is where she imagines her future as “Killa P,”
the famous rapper.
Patricia,
also known as Killa P, also known as Patti Cake$, has a best friend that has
her same gift. Hareesh (Siddharth Dhananjay) is a constant motivation to Patricia
and provides both comic-relief and emotional appeal. When Patricia starts to
lose motivation, Hareesh keeps going for the both of them. Along the way they
meet Bastard (Mamoudou Athie) who claims to be an anti-Christ. Despite his
initial creepy disposition, they realize he is musically talented like they
are. The band of misfits team up to form their rap group, “PBNJ.” There is a
cliff the characters go to a few times in the movie that has a skyline view of
New York City. The members gaze at it, hoping for the best for their future.
An
aspect that makes this film enjoyable to watch is the attitude of the
characters. The film is set in a
low-income town in New Jersey, and the PBNJ members’ quality of life is a bit
below average. Despite their living conditions, they are never portrayed as
pathetic or as objects of sympathy. It is easier for an audience to root for a
character’s success if they continuously try for their goal, which Patricia
does throughout the film. She takes on the role of the caregiver of the home
because her grandmother is bedridden and her mother is distracted. Her income
from her two jobs mostly goes towards medical bills; she rarely has leisure
time. Instead of sulking, she uses her trials at an opportunity to contribute
to what she loves; her notebook full of “bars” is always handy in case a new
rap idea comes to her.
In
the mornings, Patricia looks in the mirror and confidently poses while
free-styling lines about how good she looks before heading off to work. The
confidence the actress portrays makes the character a more-likeable one.
Boldness
and rejection occasionally go hand-in-hand, as shown in the film. The members
of PBNJ run around town giving out copies of their mixtape to anyone that will
listen. In one scene, Patricia is catering a bar mitzvah where a local radio DJ
is entertaining. The scene plays out slowly, clearly showing Patricia’s
hesitation and inner conflict on whether to give DJ French Tips the mixtape or
not. Timidly, she walks over to her, says she’s a big fan, and gives her the
CD. The DJ responds kindly and tells Patricia to keep working. In a later
scene, this plays out very differently. While catering a different event, she
arrives at the home of O-Z, the hero that inhabits her dream-land. Her
confidence from her encounter with DJ French Tips carries over and she gives
him a copy. He tells her she doesn’t have a chance at ever being an artist, which
changes her attitude completely and crushes her motivation. However, the work
she had done before that moment ends up paying off when PBNJ is entered into a
rookie competition by one of their new fans.
The
film has obvious similarities to Curtis Hanson’s 8 Mile, which is about Eminem’s journey to fame. Given it’s from a
female’s perspective, Patricia’s story provides an opportunity for young girls
to be taught that their dreams are obtainable, no matter how out-of-place they
may seem. In 2017, gender-equality is a hot-button issue; and this film is a
light-hearted flick with a dash of feminism. It touches on and defies
stereotypes, but the plot is inspirational as opposed to political.
When
looking at the film as a whole, the story behind Patti Cake$ sounds ridiculous. A plus-sized white girl, an
over-animated Indian, and a black anti-Christ form a rap group and reach for
fame. It sounds like a parody film based off the rejects from the American Idol
auditions. However, Jasper has created a film with characters that capture the
audience’s hearts and keep them laughing (and dancing) the whole way through.
Patti Cake$ is set to be released in theaters August
18, 2017.
Writer: Geremy Jasper
Director: Geremy Jasper
Producers: Chris Columbus, Michael
Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Noah Stahl, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Rodrigo Teixeria
Executive Producers: Bill Benenson,
Jonathan Bronfman, Eleanor Columbus, Fernando Fraiha, Sophie Mas, Lon Molnar,
Josh Penn, Lourenco Sant’Anna
Main Cast: Danielle Macdonald, Bridget
Everett, Siddharth Dhanajay, Mamoudou Athie, Cathy Moriarty
Running Time: 108 minutes
