Indie Gems: Patti Cake$

Bow down

Patti (Danielle Macdonald) is an aspiring rapper who is seemingly stuck in her hometown in New Jersey. She's not taken seriously, especially when her mother is a fairly well known local singer herself. She's also ridiculed for things like her weight and social status. At a show, Patti and her best friend Jheri (Siddharth Dhananjay) meet a performer/producer named Basterd the AntiChrist (Mamoudou Athie) and the unlikely trio comes together to form a group and chase their dreams. 

I first heard of this film when it was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, but I hadn't seen many reviews of it. So when it was an option for an in flight movie, I wanted to give it a chance. 

I absolutely love the three leads in this. Macdonald, Dhananjay and Athie have fantastic chemistry together and are completely immersed in their roles. Even if the film follows a pretty typical formula these three are so different from what I'm used to seeing that I didn't care. Macdonald impressed me back when I saw her in Every Secret Thing, but she blows it out of the water here. 

For as much as the aspiring musician thing has been done, this film excels when it deals with the relationships between the characters. They're very complex and never feel like caricatures. It makes for an inspiring watch.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "You got this. You're a boss bitch." - Patti (Danielle Macdonald)

Comments

  1. I've heard mixed reviews about the film but I still want to see it.

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    1. I thought it was very good. It isn't anything groundbreaking but the acting is excellent.

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  2. AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! SO HAPPY you liked this! This was one of my favorite under-the-radar discoveries of last year. The cast is so good and I loved all three of our outcast musician leads. Danielle Macadonald is AMAZING in this, and I was so happy to hear Bridget Everett (who is a huge, hilarious cabaret star in NYC) sing in a movie (for some of her legendarily lewd cabaret act, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqTSaMR75ns). It doesn't exactly break any new ground, but it's sure as hell enjoyable, and does some unexpected things stylistically.

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    1. OMG I didn't know that about her. I need to watch all these videos lol. Thank you!

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  3. Crap, your review makes me realize I should have caught this while I could. I too have heard mixed reviews about this one, but the trailer had me intrigued.

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    Replies
    1. I watched it on a plane so it's got to be out on DVD now. You should check it out.

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  4. Great casting in this!

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