The Carter (2009)

In essence, I think Lil' Wayne is a genius. And an idiot. And by mixing those two elements - sadly by drinking a lot of cough syrup and smoking a lot of weed - Wayne claims to have recorded over a thousand songs, dabbles in all types of genres, his home has been raided by the FBI because of charges that his record company made, he's released mix-tapes into the Internet and made his record label furious... The list goes on. And his music, as this documentary makes clear from the start, does really say all about his life. What's really remarkable about him is that he mostly doesn't care about what other people think, and tries to break out from himself. He goes beyond rap. At the same time, he's entwined with all the stereotypes that make rap what it is; by no coincidence does he state that he never drinks, only to in the next sentence say "Only a champagne now and then", true to all the stereotypes that follow Baby and Cash Money Millionaires. All in all: inspirational, tragic and genial. Definitely worth seeing, and be sure, Wayne will prevail.

I'll begin by saying that this documentary is for anybody and everybody -- doesn't matter if you're into hip-hop/rap/Lil Wayne or not. This is what documentaries are meant to be: a glimpse into a fascinating slice of life otherwise unavailable to the viewer; an account that's unbiased and without agenda.My knowledge of Lil Wayne was minimal before my first viewing of "The Carter." Personally speaking, I was blown away. My respect and admiration for Mr. Carter and his work ethic (and his work) sky-rocketed. The experience was heartbreaking, hilarious, upsetting, inspiring; full of the complexity inherent in life, as one would expect, especially from such a polarizing figure. Spending some time in his world made it clear: Lil Wayne is the result of lifelong dedication and endless hard work; an artist to the core, a living legend -- an American treasure, no doubt, rough around the edges or not -- on my daddy's soul.

First and foremost let me clarify all the bias and ignorant, yet frequent, comments that are swirling around "The Carter": this film does not glorify Lil Wayne. Period. What it DOES glorify, however, is his addictive and downright inhuman work ethic. The man does not stop...ever. Recording over 1000 songs in the year 2008 alone is a perfect example of his constantly-creating lifestyle, in which he somehow manages to raise an adorable (and loving) daughter, all while forever-high off his choice of drugs: Promethazine syrup and lots and lots of marijuana. It is inarguable that Wayne is far from a normal, functioning human being...and if that isn't an engaging film premise, I don't know what is.The film begins with montages of Wayne recording songs in his tour bus and hotel room, places that only HE manages to make music in. It's safe to say that, along with Wayne himself, his manager Cortez Bryant is the "narrator" of the film, sharing his opinions and love for the artist through interviews and footage of his constant phone-calling and dollar sign negotiations.The film is very "Tyson"-esque in the sense that you are brought into the mind of this bizarre individual by the individual himself. When asked the question "What would you do if you were President?", he answers "I would put cocaine back into Coca-Cola, I would legalize marijuana first AND second. Then I would eliminate all drug-use laws in sports: if you wanna take steroids, that's cool with me...as long as you playin' good." You can't help but laugh at the sheer foolishness of the man's comments, however Wayne has no shame in being downright immature; this is HIS world that he's explaining. We just all live in it.As "The Carter" dives into his self-destruction drug addictions, we see a darker side of the artist, a side that his manager barely even comments on for he is "too heartbroken to see him like that." Once again, no one in Wayne's extensive clique of assistants and errand-runners support or enjoy his addiction...and he doesn't expect them too. "Who gives a f--k what I'm drinking or what I do or what's in my cup? It's in MY cup!" This is practically common sense to Lil Wayne, confused as to why everyone cares what he does. He's going to do it either way, whether we like it or not. We might as well all just accept it now.The film doesn't shove anything in your face or add unnecessary melodrama. It doesn't portray the addicted martian-like rapper as an icon or role model whatsoever. It simply takes you for a ride into the world and mentality of Lil Wayne, such a bizarre, conceited, and uncomfortable place that it is ultimately somewhat of a wonder. This film exposes us to the real Lil Wayne, one of the most interesting characters ever put on video.

This may be one of the most compelling and interesting documentary ever made of such a unique person and artist. It hides nothing showing everything about Wayne and his world. Wayne is such a character that no one has ever seen before in cinema history. Who at times is really crazy and outrageously weird. This shows how original and different Wayne is making the documentary more entertaining because the kind of character being presented. He does and says what he wants when he wants. With originality and talent which does make him the greatest rapper alive right now. If you are not Wayne fan this documentary may be a waste of your time but Wayne fans will really enjoy this beginning to end.