Edgar Cochran ✝️’s review published on Letterboxd:
I see an Italian-American, marginalized during his whole life and with a harsh background worth-discussing and dissecting for the sake of a character arc and making the protagonistic duality more interesting, sidetracked by the secondary character, an African-American, for the sake of focusing exclusively on racism against black people during the 60s.
I see a privileged musician doctor, versed in the art of classical piano-playing, being sidetracked for the sake of focusing exclusively on racism against black people during the 60s.
I see a homosexual artist being sidetracked brutally in his sexual orientation for the sake of focusing exclusively on racism against black people during the 60s, making "that" certain scene absolutely irrelevant to the plot and the time setting.
I see an African-American in times of racism, used by the white supremacy machinery of the U.S. and tossed aside later as a product of entertainment throughout, being sidetracked for the sake of cooked-down emotional responses based on melodramatic moments and a "comedic" chemistry with the main role for the sake of focusing, now, on the parable of two significantly different but not-so-different-after-all characters learning life lessons based on the lifestyles of both.
We have reached an impasse. This film has good intentions with an agenda that sidetracks every single possible relevant social and human topic for the sake of commercial cinematic consumerism, like The Help, but more overstuffed.
The good I see:
-A chubby Viggo Mortensen still looking good and doing what he can do best with the role he was given, script limitations and all
-Ditto for Mahershala Ali, pristine and distinguishable
-A standout moment, where the musician faces his own racial reality working at the African-American field laborers in a wordless scene consisting of stares, silences, awe and catharsis between the oppressed group and the "privileged" black person
-An overused cringe, melodramatic and embarrassing stunt of a character asking to pull over in the middle of the night in a rainy highway just to deliver, perhaps, what is the most relevant monologue of the entire film about that feeling of alienation and non-belonging to any social class that you could be associated with
-Kentucky Fried Chicken from Kentucky
From the mastermind that brought you Shallow Hal, The Three Stooges, and Dumb and Dumber to, this film has, probably, good intentions, but no clear aim.
There's Something About Mary is a better film.
54/100
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