I love it when a movie surprises me, particularly when it’s in a genre with a fairly predictable style. Messing with the formula is often necessary to tell a stand-out story, but it also risks being so far from the style that it simply doesn’t work. In his new movie “Música,” currently streaming on Prime Video, Rudy Mancuso threads that needle beautifully with a rom-com that manages to play with the tropes enough to give the audience a unique and beautiful film.
Rudy (Rudy Mancuso) is a young man living at home with his mother, Maria (Maria Mancuso). He has been dating Haley (Francesca Reale) for four years, but he is not on board with the plans that she has for them going forward. What he wants to do is work with puppets and explore the music that he hears all around him. When he meets Isabella (Camila Mendes), he wonders if perhaps he has met someone who can help him find what he’s looking for in his life.
This is a genuinely fascinating movie. Mancuso wrote, directed and starred in it, and while it is a rom-com, it is also a look at his synesthesia, a condition where you experience two senses at the same time. For him, ordinary sounds are experienced as musical patterns. So throughout the film, simple tasks like sweeping the floor or going to a diner are interrupted by huge musical numbers. And while it can be entertaining for the audience, we get the sense that it is distracting to Rudy in a way that can be frustrating at times.
It also allows the movie to have some truly unique moments, and Mancuso’s direction takes full advantage of that. While Mancuso has said that his life isn’t nearly as cinematic as it appears on screen, the film version draws the viewer in and explains it well without making it the centerpiece of the movie.
The performances are lovely. Mancuso is funny and charming and his chemistry with his real-life girlfriend Mendes comes through on screen. Mendes continues to impress with her work beyond “Riverdale.” Side characters like Rudy’s friend Anwar (JB Smoove), a potential date Luana (Camila Senna) and Haley’s parents played by Regina Schneider and Gregory Jones all give fun, if brief performances.
This movie also shows a clear love for Brazilian culture. The music, the dialogue and many of the jokes revolve around Mancuso’s Brazilian heritage and it is lovely to see them on screen so vividly.
The film is a little messy as it bounces around between various ideas. The run time is just 91 minutes and Mancuso tries to pack a lot into that short time, resulting in a few storylines that feel a bit thin. But the overall effect works. “Música” is a charming, funny, heartfelt film that tells a very peculiar story in a wholly accessible way. If you’re looking for a breezy yet distinctive film, give this one a watch.
ALISE CHAFFINS is a Morgantown writer who loves movies and sharing her opinions. She reviews a movie from a streaming service every Saturday and one newly in theaters every Sunday. Find more at MacGuffin or Meaning on Substack
