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Música is the new romantic musical written and directed by YouTube sensation Rudy Mancuso. The story follows a fictional version of Rudy (played by the musician himself) as he navigates through the tapestry of love and melody.
In the film, Rudy is a Brazilian-American boy who grew up in the vibrant Brazilian neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey. He is plagued by the music in his head, confused about his romantic life, and scared of an uncertain future, until he meets Isabella, who understands his gift of music.
For the film, Mancuso collaborated with his real-life partner, Camila Mendes. She portrays the role of Isabella, a fellow Brazilian who seems to connect with Rudy better than any girl he has met before.
Música is co-written by Dan Lagana, and features Francesca Reale, J.B. Smoove, and Maria Mancuso in prominent roles.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.
Música is a smart and charming cinematic portrayal
Música unfolds the tale of Rudy, a young man with a rare condition of synesthesia, which allows him to hear random noises as music. He is on the verge of graduating college, but because of his condition, he struggles to maintain attention and often zones out from conversations. Due to this, his girlfriend Haley also breaks up with him, leaving his mother as the only stable aspect of his life.
His mother, Maria, asks Rudy to date someone from their Brazilian community in Newark. After rebelling against these demands, he meets a fellow Brazilian American named Isabella at a local fish market. She also falls for Rudy's charm, and romance blossoms between the two until Haley comes back to Rudy's life.
On the surface, Música is a simple love story, but Rudy's musical prowess, and witty dialogue writing, make the film a smart and charming cinematic portrayal of synesthesia.
Rudy Mancuso and Camila Mendes have a beautiful chemistry
Música is an autobiographical portrayal of Rudy's life and he shines in the role. However, Camila Mendes' role as Isabella and the chemistry between the two characters breathes life into the romance.
Rudy and Camila are partners in real life, and their bond is evident on screen. As viewers, one would feel like hanging out with these people and listening to their conversations, while they slowly fall for each other.
Apart from Isabella, Maria, and his friend Anwar, Rudy shares a hilarious relationship with his puppet, Diego, whose silly songs and oneliners provide some laugh-out-loud moments.
Mancuso shines as the star and director in Música but lacks in writing
Música has an optimistic charm to it. The characters are all colorful, and only concerned about day-to-day survival, without any malice at heart. Rudy's struggle with synesthesia is captured through the creative use of lighting and cinematography. The transitions and set design come straight out of Rudy's YouTube world, which already has a huge fan base.
Though the dialogues of the film are witty and relatable, Música suffers from a lack of originality in its story. This type of coming-of-age narrative is too common for cinemagoers, and the musical twist to the film, might not be enough to pull in audiences.
The way the story is told through songs is interesting, with extra characters participating as if it were a musical. It explains that everything is perceived in the protagonist's mind due to his disorder of hearing every noise as music.
However, the clapping and banging of random things in an often random rhythm, every few minutes, might get jarring for some listeners. Perhaps, this signifies that the unusual ability of the protagonist is not always a gift.
Final Thoughts
Rudy Mancuso has entertained audiences for over a decade with his musical comedy YouTube skits. In Música, his melodic prowess is evident, and so is his capability to hold the viewer's attention.
However, the most endearing aspect of the film is not its use of music, but the gentle portrayal of the coming-of-age struggle, and the sweet romance between the lead characters.
Though Rudy is officially a first-time film director, he has been directing his videos for a decade. And fans can't wait to see what the future holds for this talented performer.
Música is streaming right now on Amazon Prime Video.
