A+E

There are so many good things happening in Idlewild ($29.98, 4 stars) it's impossible not to recommend it to audiences looking for something new. The hyper-kinetic invention of hip-hop sensations "Andre 3000" Benjamin and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton (aka Outkast) is so ambitious that you want to applaud, even as the storylines begin to overlap into a thick narrative knot. Idlewild follows the progress of a pair of childhood friends as they struggle to fulfill their disparate Depression-era dreams. Percival's deeply religious father assumes that his son (Benjamin) will follow him into the undertaking business, but he is most happy playing piano in a madly swinging speakeasy. Under the tutelage of a slick older gangster, Rooster (Patton) advances quickly from novice to journeyman bootlegger. The joint jumps with music out of the Cab Calloway songbook, while the dancing recalls both the Nicholas Brothers and Busby Berkeley. At times Idlewild strays too close to territory already covered in Kansas City and The Cotton Club. Idlewild would have been better if its creators could settle on it being a musical with drama, a drama with music or a dramatic musical with neat visual effects. The sensational music, dancing and costumes make up for any confusion. The DVD package comes with a deleted scene, new songs and Outkast music videos.