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Not Quite Dope Enough

"Dope" begins with a title card that gives three definitions of the term dope; an idiot, a drug and a slang term for awesome. It sets the tone for the movie, which, at times, feels like three different movies with different meanings rolled into one.

Writer and director Rick Famuyiwa's Sundance darling far too often plays like a pastiche of stronger films that came before it. There are a lot of familiar tropes and themes throughout "Dope" but the film somehow manages to just stay afloat thanks to the great energy Famuyiwa has infused in the almost every frame. Just when you are ready to yawn and check your watch, the film's protagonist will play a catchy song with his band or get into some ridiculous scenario.

The movie's beating heart is its leading star. Shameik Moore, an unknown actor who has appeared in some television and film bit roles, stars as Malcolm. He is a self-proclaimed geek, who spends the majority of his days with his two friends, Jib (Tony Revolori, "The Grand Budapest Hotel") and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons, TV's "Transparent"). They keep to themselves at school but are often the targets of the jocks and bullies because they dare to assert their own individuality.

One night, Malcolm and his friends attend a party that they really have no business being at. They are invited by Nakia (Zoe Kravitz), a flirty neighbor Malcolm has eyes for. The only problem is, Nakia has some kind of relationship with a local drug dealer named Dom (rapper A$ap Rocky). Gunfire breaks out at this party and through the chaos, Malcolm procures a large sum of cocaine - excuse me, dope - and a gun. Frightened by the consequences and threats that come with having these items in his possession, Malcolm must find a way to get rid of them.

The main action in "Dope" is a race against time to get the drugs away from Malcolm and his friends. Malcolm has grown up in a neighborhood of Los Angeles which sees a lot of drug and gang related violence, and it is a lifestyle he is trying to escape. He has ambitions outside of his neighborhood, hoping to one day get into Harvard, even though a teacher warns him his good grades won't be enough for Harvard to overlook his appearance.

"Dope" bursts with moments of great commentary about race. Even better, it goes beyond the race narrative and talks about Malcolm's individualism outside of his background. He loves and embraces 90s culture and is unapologetic about it. Moore is a real discovery, playing Malcolm with wide-eyed optimism and affable charm. He continually makes "Dope" worth watching, even when the script falters.

Famuyiwa's previous efforts include "Our Family Wedding", "Brown Sugar" and "The Wood" but "Dope" is poised to be the movie that puts him on the map (he did write the very underrated 2007 film "Talk to Me"). Here, he really fails to find any true stability in the narrative. The issue with "Dope" isn't its pervasive familiarity but its jumbled structure. So much of what occures in the movie feels extraneous and ends up being an afterthought. When the movie shines, it shines bright. Unfortunately, it just doesn't shine enough.