I hate being wrong, but boy was I ever wrong in my early judgment of Patti Cake$. While at Sundance I basically snubbed Geremy Jasper's film about an overweight Jersey girl named Patricia "Killa P" Dumbrowski and her dreams of being a big rap star. Stupid because star Danielle MacDonald had been on my radar since her first major feature role in Every Secret Thing, an otherwise forgettable crime drama that she was great in. How could I have known that MacDonald, an Aussie with zero rap experience. would not only put on one of the strongest, most assured performances of the year, but that she would scorch the mic like MC Lyte in her prime?
MacDonald shines like a superstar in Patti Cake$, giving the overweight lyricist a swagger that she had to grow into. In my interview with MacDonald and Jasper, the latter having made his directorial debut on the film, MacDonald talks about the differences between her and Patti, starting with the vast gap in personal confidence. We also discussed Jasper's music background and which aspects of his life became elements of the film. And I was psyched to learn that MacDonald receiving hip-hop coaching lessons from my favorite rapper, Skyzoo, whose playlist gets constant run in my car.
Check out my interview with MacDonald and Jasper below, and you can find my review of Patti Cake$ here!
