What to Watch This Weekend: Free Guy, CODA, Raging Fire, Respect, Slasher Flesh and Blood, Luca, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Easy Does It

For A Heartfelt Family Drama: CODA (Theaters and Apple TV+)

CODA is a treat for the eyes and ears, with a beautiful look at a tight knit family that faces both unique and universal challenges as they struggle to deal with life, growing together, and growing apart.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Next Level Video Game Comedy: Free Guy (Theaters)
Free Guy is a love letter to video games and to Ryan Reynolds with an over the top premise, plenty of cameos and Easter Eggs, and a story that will have you cheering until it is game over.   For more information, check out the review!

For A Martial Arts Police Procedural: Raging Fire (Theaters)

Raging Fire is a showcase for Yen and Tse, with fantastic, brutal action, great style, and a police procedural plot that pits these two superstars against each other in a climactic conclusion.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Soulful Docu-Drama: Respect (Theaters)

Respect's all star cast and courage to explore the good and the bad of Aretha's journey will give you a new appreciation of the Queen of Soul's life, music, and the challenges that crafted this strong icon.  For more information, check out the review! 

For A Throwback Action Thriller: Those Who Wish Me Dead (Redbox)

Those Who Wish Me Dead is a 90s style action thriller with an all star cast and great direction.  For more information, check out the review!

For The Kids: Luca (Redbox)
Luca is in the vein of A Little Mermaid, but its beautiful animation, imaginative story, and focus on tolerance and being yourself is a timeless message that appeals to kids and adults alike!  For more information, check out the review!

For A Horror-Based Family Drama: Slasher: Flesh and Blood (Shudder)

Slasher: Flesh and Blood has a Knives Out feel, with a dysfunctional family forced back to the patriarchs estate for a deadly reunion.  I liked the characters and the overall drama, as well as the addition of a killer in the midst!!

For A Fun, Indie Road Trip: Easy Does It (IMDBTV Free With Ads)

Easy Does It is a breath of fresh indie air. The film's cast of quirky, fun characters, entertaining story, style, and fantastic music fuels a wonderfully enjoyable road trip!  For more information, check out our review!

CODA Review: An Exquisite Film About Love, Family, Duty, and Following Your Heart

Release date: August 13, 2021
Running time: 112 minutes
Written and Directed By: Siân Heder (“Tallulah,” “Little America”)
Starring: Emilia Jones (“Locke & Key”), Eugenio Derbez (“The Casagrandes”), Troy Kotsur (“The Number 23”), Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (“Vikings’), Daniel Durant (“Switched at Birth”), Amy Forsyth (“Beautiful Boy”), Kevin Chapman (“City on a Hill”), and Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin (“Children of a Lesser God”)

Seventeen-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the sole hearing member of a deaf family—a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur) and working on the family's struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother (Daniel Durant). But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo). Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster (Eugenio Derbez) to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.

CODA is a special treat, a film that bridges worlds and lets the audience experience an entirely different life.  Seeing this family work, interact, suffer, and love is a special experience, and I especially loved seeing how the deaf family communicated and lived their lives.  The film doesn't ever point any of these insights and experiences out, rather they just exist as part of the overall storytelling.  I loved seeing the alarm clocks, how they communicated, and some of the potential issues that occur when the rest of your family cannot hear.  And seeing how certain things could affect someone who is deaf that a hearing person would never think twice about was fascinating to see.  

And part of what makes this film so special is the cast.  The main family consists of one actor who can hear and three actors who are deaf.  This level of authenticity contributes greatly to the film, as everyone reacts in realistic and genuine ways.  And I can't help but imagine that using deaf actors for these roles helped them to impart their own experiences into the characters and let them portray a more accurate and authentic family.  There are some amazingly beautiful scenes watching this family come together or share emotions as only they can.

And I also like that the film didn't limit itself to just how this family lives, it ties into the greater issues in the community.  It feels like this could connect with many small town communities or tight knit working families trying to make a living.  The film treats the family's deafness as a cornerstone of their interactions, and while the issues that they face are exacerbated by their deafness, many of them are not unique to the family.  From dissemination, to increasingly harsh working conditions, to trying to rethink business arrangements, the film touches on many topics that should have universal applicability.

And along those lines, CODA also feels like it is a unique journey but also one that has analogues in many other tight knit families.  The need to help your family, to sometimes act as interpreter, and to choose between your passion and duty to your family should resonate with immigrant and first generation families.  And the disconnect between following your passions and fulfilling your responsibilities is another universal theme that will resonate with many.

CODA is a treat for the eyes and ears, with a beautiful look at a tight knit family that faces both unique and universal challenges as they struggle to deal with life, growing together, and growing apart.

Watch it.

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CODA is available to stream on Apple TV+ starting August 13, 2021.

Screening: See CODA, A Phenomenal Film and Early Oscars Contender Early and Free

We have partnered with Apple TV+ for an early screening of the Sundance sensation and early Oscars contender, CODA.  The film is coming to theaters and Apple TV+ on August 13, 2021, but you can check it out early and free!  Details and entry form are below!  Please note that the film is going to be released on Apple TV+ on August 13, 2021, so if you are at all hesitant about going to the theaters, you will be able to watch it at home the day after the screening!

CODA

Writer and Director:
Siân Heder (“Tallulah,” “Little America”)

Starring:
Emilia Jones (“Locke & Key”), Eugenio Derbez (“The Casagrandes”), Troy Kotsur (“The Number 23”), Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (“Vikings’), Daniel Durant (“Switched at Birth”), Amy Forsyth (“Beautiful Boy”), Kevin Chapman (“City on a Hill”), and Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin (“Children of a Lesser God”)

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the sole hearing member of a deaf family—a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur) and working on the family's struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother (Daniel Durant). But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo). Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster (Eugenio Derbez) to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.

Rating:
PG-13

 Screening Info:

CODA

Thursday, August 20th, 2021

7:00pm

Angelika Mosaic

Screening LInk!

And after you see it, check out my video review of the film and let me know what you thought!