DOPE

A sought-out movie at the Cannes Film Festival; knowing of its imminent release, waited to view it here; surprisingly, it surpassed my expectations; living in a metropolis of mixed hues, religions, disparate ethnicities, I have not been blinded by stereotypical taboos; crime, drugs, gangs, teenage murderers and victims are not exclusive to one race but there are poverty-stricken neighborhoods where these issues are more prominent than others.

Director/writer Rick Famuyiwa delves into his experiences growing up in tough Inglewood, California; boundaries between rivaling drug lords, cannot be crossed without risk to life and limb; the prescience of “Dope” is Famuyiwa’s compelling concentration on three bright high school students, riding their bikes, ducking contemporary criminals; hungry, ambitious to move beyond the vicissitudes of their parameters; “Malcolm” (wonderful Shameik Moore) and his two nerdy friends, lesbian “Diggy” (Kiersey Clemons) and “Jig” (Tony Revolori) inadvertently come into the possession of a monumental stash of ecstasy; hence commences one of the most ingenious anomalies, circuitous comedic plots in film today.

Three anachronistic, hip-hop loving kids, legitimate but not naive, face-off against seasoned offenders; what ensues is a hilarious romp through internet malfeasance, “Bitcoin”  manipulation; intelligence informs the script, acting and outcome of this idiosyncratic, insightful, intriguing victory of the “best and the brightest”.

FOUR STARS!!!!

Peneflix