Patti Cake$

It's a rare film that both puts a smile on your face and has you urging others to see it. Like Once, Brooklyn and Sing Street, this is one of those films. Essentially, its tale of an outsized New Jersey girl with an equally outsize ambition to make it in rap music is standard star-is-born stuff, albeit with a contemporary twist. But Patti Cake$ largely transcends such corn and cliché. It's vibrant, feel-good fun, and infused with more energy and creative spark than a dozen "dinosaur" superhero films. There are some great rap and blues tunes, too. Aussie actress Danielle Macdonald plays Patti, and instantly becomes the new poster woman for the billions who aren't built like supermodels. She's terrific. So is the film. See it for entertainment and uplift.