There are plenty of movies out there starring hip-hop artists and rappers, but none of them are musicals anachronistically set in the Prohibition-era 1930s. OutKast's fast-paced romp through the underground speakeasies and gang culture of Idlewild, Ga. provides solid, if formulaic, entertainment.
The film opens with the silky-voiced narration of Percival (André Benjamin) -- "All the world's a stage, and men and women merely players. And they have their exits and their entrances." Aged black-and-white photographs emerge into color as Percival recounts how he met his lifelong friend, Rooster (Antwan A. Patton), at a family funeral.
Opposites attract -- this premise is typical. The two best friends are totally different. Yet, they are drawn together by music. Percival, quiet and unassuming, works in his father's mortuary by day and tickles the ivories at night at "Church," an ironically-named speakeasy. Rooster is a womanizing, boozing, larger-than-life performer. He is torn between his love of the night life and his obligation to his loving but grudge-bearing wife and five children.
Rooster's father Spats (Ving Rhames) is an aging bootlegger ready to retire and pass on the business to someone else. His second-in-command Trumpy (Terrence Howard) embodies the typical, greedy, one-dimensional villain, quietly threatening and killing whoever gets in his way with delight.
The best scenes are easily the energetic performances in the club, complete with cabaret dancers on stage plastered with glitter and feathers, as well as those performing a hybrid of swing and break dancing acrobatics. Other musical numbers are interspersed throughout the movie, though one involving Rooster rapping in the middle of a car-chase scene was unsuccessful because it distracted from the intense action on-screen.
Back at the speakeasy, "Church," Taffy (Macy Gray) is the resident star until the gorgeous singer Angel Davenport (Paula Patton) rolls into town from St. Louis, albeit with a certain not-so-shocking secret. She easily charms Percival and comes between him and his alcoholic, domineering father, who dismisses her as a common floozy.
Rooster's and Percival's storylines are separately depicted until the end, when they collide with a bang. The film would have benefited by showing more of the on-screen relationship between the two friends. The pair of Benjamin and Patton provides satisfactory performances despite their musical careers.
Some interesting quirks include dozens of synchronized cuckoo clocks hovering over Percival's bed, a comical talking cartoon rooster on Rooster's signature hooch flask, and dancing musical-note figures on Percival's sheet music. It's up to you to decide whether these touches are charming or pointless.
All-in-all, Idlewild is a typical hip-hop story -- best friends, imposing gangsters, a bit of love and betrayal. What separates it from the pack are an original setting, some quirky twists and excellent dance scenes. While Idlewild may not be the most mind-stimulating movie, it is certainly one that will entertain for a few hours.
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