Guest writer MightyMatt has a review of CODA, nominated for three Academy Awards.
CODA is a beautiful story told beautifully. It details a young girl, Ruby, who is a Child of Deaf Adults, hence the title, as she begins to become passionate about singing. With the all-important decision about college looming and her position in the family as the official ASL interpreter, she has a tough decision to make.
CODA might seem like schmaltzy stuff, but it stands as a thoughtful, warm, inspiring, and hopeful film that finds it standing tall next to the equally strong The Sound of Metal from 2019. Writer/Director Sian Heder just knocks this one out of the park, hell, the stratosphere, with her focus on the beauty and strength of family, the world of ASL, a love for music, and a very real look into life in a blue-collar fishing town (the film was mostly shot in Gloucester, Massachusetts). She gives plenty of room for her stellar cast to do their thing and absolutely charm the pants off the audience.
Credit is absolutely due to the amazing ensemble here of Emilia Jones (posed for greatness here!) Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant, and Eugenio Derbez who are all just fabulous here. Jones is off the charts great and really impresses throughout with her performance (both spoken and in ASL) and her singing, while Matlin, Kotsur, and Durant will just bring you to tears throughout (the film is sad, at times, but is more interested in reveling in the warmth of humanity and family). Derbez might seem like an out-of-leftfield pick, but he is extraordinary as the music teacher who inspires and pushes Ruby to pursue her passion.
Heder keeps things small-scale and focuses on the honesty of the film’s screenplay, but she pulls the rug out from underneath in a key scene where the family goes to one of Ruby’s recitals. The way Heder gets us into their perspectives and how the family witnesses Ruby’s greatness is just stunning and one of the best scenes of the year—it’s followed by an equally powerful moment between Jones and Kotsur).
CODA is a film that everyone should see. Again, it’s a beautiful story told beautifully.
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