The theme of hidden talent was repeatedly played out in the cinema, however, it still has not lost its former popularity. Perhaps, watching as a simple man from a zumbush turns into a star sizzling with light from glory, viewers identify themselves with the character. However, much depends on the presentation of the material, since it is very important to remain sincere in front of the viewer. In my opinion, this approach was chosen by the authors of the musical drama Patty Cakes.
Patricia Dambrowski, a white fat girl from a poor family, barely makes ends meet, taking occasional part-time jobs to help her alcoholic mother and, above all, her beloved grandmother, who needs to pay for her treatment. It was her grandmother and best friend Geri who always supported Patti in her endeavors to become a real rapper. One day the heroine starts from words to actions and together with her grandmother, Jerry and a new friend of African-American Bob creates an unusual hip-hop group.
Game of actors Since "Patty Cakes" is a classic cliché from a series of hidden talents, the actors involved in the film embodied the template images, albeit with genuine talent. In general, the film is replete with bright female images. The real star of the program, of course, was Danielle McDonald as Patricia, a young, cheerful and talented girl who has many dreams, but at first lacks faith in herself. Of course, the real surprise was the beauty Katie Moriarty in the classic image of the outlived grandmother of the main character, who in her old age became not just a mentor for her granddaughter, but also a grumpy member of her hip-hop group.
Directorship During the viewing, you can feel the director tossing between the template of the story about a rising star and the realism of the story about a simple girl from the working suburbs of her hometown, a director of New Jersey, who tries to cope with internal complexes. We see an ordinary girl who works several jobs to pay for the treatment of her beloved grandmother, who has fun with her best friend Geri, and who dreams of becoming a famous rapper. Her dream haunts her in dreams; listening to music with headphones, the heroine imagines walking through the air, or as a few years later starring in a music video. Most importantly, the girl really has a genuine talent. Her success is believed by Geri and her beloved grandmother, but not Patty herself, who adopted a complex of insecurity from her alcoholic mother, a former failed singer who once belonged to a rock band, but was forced to leave her career for the sake of her family. Slowly, the heroine begins to realize his dream. Together with Geri, a grandmother and a new acquaintance, hermit Bob creates a hip-hop group with which he records several truly memorable songs. Of course, the recording of songs is one story, but their promotion becomes a completely new stage in which all the characters will have to pass the test of the strength of faith in themselves, in their friendship and, of course, in love.
Scenario The main details of the plot I outlined in the previous paragraph, and, as you can see, the plot of the film has a classic structure in the style of “a star is born”, but on a smaller scale. The main character is a typical Cinderella in every sense, with the only difference that she still has some inner core to participate in the maintenance of the family, hang out in the company of the only friend and secretly write songs that she then sings either in front of her grandmother or in front of a friend. At the same time, her talent is genuine, and even puts on the ears of the local punk during participation in a street rap battle. Soon, fate brings her to an African-American punk rocker who lives in an abandoned hut on the outskirts of the city, where he set up his studio. There Patti begins recording discs with her songs, which still need to be promoted on the market, and for this you need to find a real producer, but the world of show business is too cruel and unfair that even Patti’s idol becomes her sworn enemy. In parallel, the girl tries to build a normal relationship with her mother Barb, a former rock singer, forced to leave her career for the sake of her family and husband, who eventually abandoned them all. In such a heap of events, the girl is torn between the fear of failure and the realization that a different path will lead her to forget. Only through unexpected support from the outside becomes a new incentive for her to move towards her dream.
Result On the one hand, Patty Cakes may seem like a banal story, about a simple girl with a hidden talent for musical creativity who managed to prove herself by overcoming many obstacles, including inner demons. On the other hand, the whole story is shown with a human face, starting with the fact that we see not a well-fed and contented America, but ordinary people. The film ends not with a victory at any music competition, but with a victory in the soul of the main character, who has long tried to believe in herself.
7 out of 10
