As the director, co-writer (alongside American Vandal’s Dan Lagana), executive producer, and composer of Música, Rudy Mancuso’s filmmaking debut suggests he’s carrying a certain “do it all yourself” energy over from his previous career as a prolific YouTuber. Impressively, it does not feel insular or self-involved despite his hands being in nearly all aspects of the process. That isn’t to say, however, that it all works.
Mancuso plays, well, Rudy, a college student barreling towards graduation with little semblance of a plan for what comes next. His dedication to puppetry and music shows great creativity, but it doesn’t seem like a promising moneymaking venture if his occasional busking is any indication. Further complicating matter is his synesthesia, a condition that underlines every aspect of his day with a constant beat. It may be great for his musicality, but it also creates a distance between him and others. Often distracted, sometimes overwhelmed, by the music only he can hear, he frequently misses out on what others are trying to tell him.
His perceived lack of ambition proves too much for his girlfriend Haley (Francesca Reale), leading to a break-up at the film’s start. This clears the decks for Rudy’s mom (Maria Mancuso, the filmmaker’s real-life mom) to start playing matchmaker with every Brazilian-American girl around his age she can find and for Rudy to fall for Isabella (Camila Mendes), an employee at a local seafood counter. When Haley returns, things fall apart quickly, thanks in no small part to advice from Anwar (J.B. Smoove), a food truck entrepreneur and seemingly Rudy’s only friend.
The concept of finding music everywhere isn’t unique. Viewers have seen it in films as varied in tone as Soul, August Rush, and Begin Again. Still, the extent to which Música realizes it does stand out. It nails how such a condition could be both a gift and a curse, making Rudy stand out and stand apart from others, regardless of whether he wants to.
It is undeniably interesting how Mancuso, working with Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut and Art Director Gonzalo Cordoba, gives it physical form on-screen. Floating notes become solid and interactive. A spread on toast resembles a piano. Lyrics appear on subway walls and ceilings. A pickup basketball game becomes a symphony.
As a performer, Mancuso has a talent for portraying anxiety. Unfortunately, he’s so good at it that he also makes the audience feel it. He’s frequently so tightly wound and flailing that it becomes exhausting to watch. Viewers want to be able to feel and understand his state of mind; they do not necessarily want to experience it alongside him. He also doesn’t generate much chemistry with most of his co-stars. Mendes is the one exception, but she seems to generate all the sparks. He’s just reacting to it.
Despite the film’s visual creativity, Música’s plot mechanics are assembly-line standard. There’s little about the setup to distinguish it from several other moderately budgeted rom-coms that it shares space with on Prime Video. Reale is basically the big city woman seeking to uproot Rudy from his life and culture in Newark. Mendes is the hometown woman who understands what makes Rudy’s neighborhood both frustrating and integral to his life. Set this film in October or December, and you essentially have a gender-swapped Hallmark movie.
In the end, that proves Música‘s undoing. The visuals are usually very good and frequently excellent. Mancuso’s compositions have a wonderful sense of verve and play. The puppet is often good for a laugh. On the other hand, his on-screen presence is not quite winning, and the film is loaded to the gills with predictability. There’s promise here, for certain. Unfortunately, Mancuso still needs more time to fully find his rhythm.
Música sings out on Prime Video beginning April 4.