THE HOMEBOY |
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THE HOMEBOY |
Rating -
Cast & Crew info: |
Written by DAVID KEYES
It is said that fame is like a drug, addictive from the very
beginning and coveted by those under its influence, but those who say so
tend to overlook one very significant factor behind the statement: like
some substances, it can also bring you down just as fast as it lifted you
up. The situation is no more apparent than in the music business, a venue
in which any aspiring person can release a catchy tune, acquire a massive
following, get showered in awards and praise, and then quickly fade out
after a deafening commercial collapse.
Comebacks are not unfeasible, though, and that's what the focus is behind
"The Homeboy," a charming new indie film from Hooligan Pictures. The star
is a white rapper whose popularity peaked two years before with the triple-platinum
album, "Theory of Sell-a-tivity," but has dwindled without any further
releases. He is at a crucial state of his career. His next move ultimately
decides his fate. Will he reclaim his lost fame, or fade off into the
background like so many before him?
The investigation takes us through the life of MC² (Dave McCrea), a
man who fits no specific classification of hip-hop entertainers (except
for his own). Though it would be easy to assume he is an archetype for
the stereotypical "white rapper" visage—the one in which Eminem and Vanilla
Ice can easily be classified under—there's more to him than just public
image and bad attitude. He's funny and endearing. He cares about his work.
He does what he wants to. He's also the only person I've seen who uses
caviar as a dip for Fritos. Something more charming exists underneath
his facade of a bad boy, and for 95 minutes, we watch avidly as the story
peals off his layers, ultimately revealing something underneath just as
human as any ordinary person without fame.
Of course he doesn't see it that way. He's just there to be an entertainer;
a "voice," so to speak, for the people. Anxious to be at the top of the
game once again in his field, the rapper participates in an interview
with TV guru Tallulah Jones (MTV alumnus "Downtown" Julie Brown) to promote
the upcoming release of his newest album, a record that, he claims, deals
with important issues ("even the ozone layer," he jokes). But the interview
becomes rather chilli once Ms. Jones begins to question his "good messages"
by pointing out certain violent and derogatory remarks within his lyrics.
MC² tries hard to work his way around her points, but it's like fighting
a losing battle. Yet the scenes between Julie Brown and Dace McCrea are
fantastic together, she as a sharp weapon for journalism and he a soft
stick of butter ready for cutting into. In terms of forcing us to take
immediate notice, there probably could have been no better way to introduce
the movie.
But the story really doesn't begin to unfold until afterwards. MC² has
a problem with his sink (a Wentworth), and calls upon a repairman to fix
it. The guy who turns out to tinker around with it, though, is no ordinary
repairman—he's actually the rapper's once-popular hip-hop idol Hoolie
Hooligan (David M. Wallace), who disappeared from the public eye years
ago and now makes a living by fixing Wentworths. MC² sees this coincidental
meeting as an opportunity to reestablish his own career as well as that
of his influence. Hoolie is reluctant at first, but after whimpering like
a baby for a few minutes, he then agrees. Not until after MC² takes him
in, though, does he realize the enormous mistake he has made. Without
revealing too much, let's just say that it's easy to see why Hooligan
was removed from the spotlight in the first place.
"The Homeboy" is filled with many subtle but effective quirks and oddities,
and many of them help the picture rise above the clichés of the general
situations. For example, there is a love story gimmick utilized in the
story when MC² is approached by an attractive female waitress at the local
Chinese restaurant. He is so impressed with her appearance that he orders
whatever she recommends, and during a private conversation just minutes
later, he professes his love, asks to marry her, and floats on air when
she accepts it, apparently sharing in the feelings he has. The entire
twist works not because that they got together so quickly, but the fact
that they actually believe they are madly in love. We, needless to say,
know the naivety behind their immediate actions, and a marvelous confrontation
between the lovebirds and the waitress's shocked parents firmly establishes
so.
The majority of the picture is all about this comic timing, and though
a few jokes don't quite work (most notably one in which we are forced
to hear the agonizing bowels of the weak-stomached main character after
he is loaded up on spicy foods), the humor for the most part is delivered
very effectively. Many of the script's best shots are with the Hoolie
Hooligan character, who occupies the story as if he were the Johnny Rotten
of the hip-hop generation, cynical and quirky, with a rebellious attitude
intended to bring out fear, but instead only generates amusement.
"The Homeboy" is flat-out amusing, sometimes endearing and often fabulous,
with a solid cast, noteworthy characters, delicious dialogue and a wide
supply of effective sight gags. But by the end, one detail feels unresolved:
what exactly is this movie about? Is it a story about regaining that lost
notoriety? Learning from your influences? Helping out someone who needs
it more than you? Or finding that you've searched for something you don't
really want that much? Though the movie tries hard to establish each of
these traits, the focus is incredibly blurred. The movie survives without
one strictly based on its other merits, yes, but a more stable narrative
center would have been a nice compliment to the package regardless.
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