This Eddie Murphy comedy had all the ingredients to be both a famous movie and an award-winner, but neither happened. It tells the true story of Rudy Ray Moore, a comedian who became famous for creating a character called Dolemite, a pimp, and who later attempted to make his own movie based on the same character. Murphy plays Rudy, but there are also other recognizable faces in supporting roles: Chris Rock, Wesley Snipes, Keegan-Michael Key, Snoop Dogg, and many others. It’s above all a funny movie, but being Eddie Murphy’s first R-rated movie since 1999, it’s also a realistic portrayal of both 1970s L.A. and the struggles of being a black filmmaker at the time.
"Craig Brewer's film similarly romanticises the dream factory that is cinema. So, it is not just a loving tribute to a counterculture-inspired genre but also to the dreamers whose determination and desire far outweighed their skills and knowledge."
— Prahlad Srihari
"Everything clicks in the comedy Dolemite Is My Name - it's almost alarming how easily, breezily, larkishly the film goes down."
— David Edelstein
The story of Rudy Ray Moore, who created the iconic big screen pimp character Dolemite in the 1970s.
Golden Globes
3 nominations
Nat. Board of Review
1 win
