'Patti Cake$' A Review

Patti Cake$ is a drama about a young aspiring rapper, Patti(Danielle Macdonald), in Bergen County, New Jersey. Tensions between Patti and her mother Barb(Bridget Everett) are strained due to the persist illness of her grandmother Nana(Cathy Moriarty) and her mother's hard living lifestyle. Patti along with her friend Jheri(Siddharth Dhananjay) attempt to record a demo but are unsuccessful until hooking up with local nihilist goth Basterd(Mamoudou Athie).

Macdonald puts in a great lead performance. She conveys a compelling vulnerability and courage, she is persistent almost dogged about her artistic dream, in the midst of a relatively pedestrian underdog story she breathes new life, perspective, and depth into the somewhat predictable beats. Everett also brings freshness to the neglectful parent dynamic the story utilizes. She struggles a bit with some of the scenes but even when her performance isn't seamless she maintains her natural and substantial magnetism. Moriarty's role isn't large but it brings humor and heart effortlessly and is a much needed foil for Macdonald. Dhananjay and Athie both do well but serve mostly to propel Patti's story.

The music, soundtrack and the songs performed, are great. Effecting in a raw and real way. The cinematography feels gritty and real with occasional playful day dream sequences that set it apart. The plot itself could be compared to 8 Mile and Hustle & Flow but that's irrelevant due to the unique lead character. The music is original, the performances are absorbing, and the story is moving. Period. Some sequences or scenes you may anticipate but that doesn't make them any less enjoyable.

A fresh and inspiring take on an underdog artist story.

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