
In the romantic comedy “Música,” a young man named Rudy is portrayed as one who sees the world with rolled eyes while the ears are content with everything going on around them. To him, simple sounds he hears daily have a different meaning; they can be best described as a melody consisting of a beat that makes him forget about heading to classes or paying any attention to his girlfriend Haley (Francesca Reale). For a while, he hears little of Bruno or Eva’s demands that he marry a girl from the Brazilian community that has settled in Newark, New Jersey. Angry at this situation, he goes to a fish market and meets a fellow Brazilian American called Isabella (Camila Mendes). Suddenly, Rudy’s world is filled with sweeter sounds, a different kind of tune.
“Música” cuenta lo que cuenta: una historia de amor, números musicales y un homenaje a la cultura brasileña, empezando por el colorido cartel de la pelicula que imita la bandera brasileña en verde, amarillo y blanco. Rudi, un personaje que se basa en el guionista y director de la pelicula Rudi Mancuso, narrates his experience with synesthesia which is a condition whereby one stimulus prompts a second response from the senses such that for example, one can see a color and taste it. The latter is the case with him; everyday commonplace sounds of traffic, an airplane, children playing in a park, talking people, and the daily hustle of life are sufficient to interrupt his thoughts and in this case, it is illustrated by musical numbers that are performed using common day objects as instruments in the off-broadway show, ‘Stomp’. It is a slight variation of ‘All That Jazz’, in that Mancuso also employs song and dance in finding words for his relationship with other people and the expectations that society places on him. The music for the film ‘Música’ was composed by Mancuso who backed his artistic intent by using puppetry, animation, and futuristic production design.
It’s a fact that some songs and some sequences do not always come together for the best among the more unflattering aspects of the movie are the songs the busker sings at the train station. But at the other extreme, there are also very good sequences such as the sequence of Rudy running in circles trying to satisfy three women by changing locations and scenarios which is a cut above what one has come to expect of romantic comedies and the commonplace boy meets girl and bids adieu while hoping photographers are around to capture a few wedding snapshots.
Though a few edges and a few mistakes remain unpolished, much interest remains in Mancuso’s features debut. Besides the film’s central romantic story arc, Mancuso who is also credited with writing the screenplay with Dan Lagana further states how the film is a reflection of him and his Brazilian heritage. On a good number of occasions, it was even possible for him to switch back and forth from English to Portuguese with ease; even on a date, he managed to cram in some of his mother’s traditional feijoada; it’s hard to miss the bossa nova and samba influences on the film’s score and choreography, and in one comical episode in a restaurant, he gets to drink several shots of cachaça, probably more than any American film.
Mancuso also looks into some of the stickier aspects of staying too close to home, such as the fact that his mother, Maria (Mancuso’s real mother) wants him to continue finding a partner with another Brazilian woman. He is also confronted with the stereotypical view of his parents-in-law who think that because they have a Central American maid, he must speak Spanish and wonders if he should correct them or just let it go for the sake of harmony. Sure enough, more than a few second and third-generation children of immigrants may find something in Mancuso’s film that they can relate to but at the same time, it is also quite different because we do not often see the Brazilian-American perspective on the screen.
Mancuso’s relationship with his mother, who has an equally captivating role in the film, sits nicely within the celebratory spirit. The parents have a husband-wife dynamic, which is more fun than the dates that Rudy has with Isabella, who only remains an ideal in our dreams, and actually his girlfriend, Haley, whose aspirations and life plans do not coincide with those of our protagonist anymore. He often thinks about how life will be after he marries and leaves his mother’s house. Although he may be very much attached to his mother who overlooks his creative efforts and disapproves of his choice of girlfriends, which sounds all too familiar to many of us. While the film credits roll, Mancuso’s childhood pictures are shown of him while the cast and crew are being credited, making it seem like “Música” is dedicated as much to her as to the music and culture that drives him. Right till the last scene, “Música” is tied up with a clichéd ending that one would expect from a rom-com. It is about the search for love which is not easy for a person with a disability, it is about the search for music in every nook and corner, and most importantly it is about our culture and family roots.
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