Crime Comedy – Matthew Liedke on Film

When it comes to “B” things I love, I can’t say boosters is on the list. Bourbon, basketball, burritos. I love those, but not boosters.

This movie didn’t really change that fact, either.

The film is writer/director Boots Riley’s sophomore effort after helming 2018’s “Sorry to Bother You.” His latest film is a surreal crime comedy starring Keke Palmer as Corvette. While she has a passion for designing clothes, challenges in life have forced her into shoplifting and reselling fashionable attire.

She conducts her boosting efforts in company with friends Sade (Naomi Ackie) and Mariah (Taylour Paige). In addition to earning the nickname the Velvet Gang, their activities also catch the attention of a powerful designer who is furious about her clothes being stolen.

A person would think a film directed by one of the Coen brothers and featuring a talented cast would result in a good experience. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with “Drive-Away Dolls.”

Set in 1999, “Dolls” follows close friends Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Viswanathan), who’re on a road trip from Philadelphia to Florida. The journey south was originally just supposed to be Marian’s trip, but Jamie decided to tag along after breaking up with her girlfriend Sukie (Beanie Feldstein).

What should be a simple road trip with a few pit stops, though, turns into something much more dangerous when it turns out the two women rented a car meant to be used by organized crime. Inside the car, the protagonists find a mysterious brief case and a big piece of criminal evidence.

Continue reading “REVIEW: Don’t take a ride with the ‘Drive-Away Dolls’”