Música

“Música” might seem like it’s hitting beats we’ve grown accustomed to, but Mancuso’s sweet, soulful feature debut doesn’t follow in others’ footsteps. What a gem.

Now that Mancuso has gotten his origin story out onto the screen, it’s exciting to wonder what a sophomore effort could entail for him. For now, “Música” has earned him his filmmaking stripes.

For all that creativity and technical wizardry, the most impressive thing about Música is that, if you’ve been paying attention to Mancuso’s work, nothing present in the movie is entirely new.

Even when its narrative tips into clichéd territory, Música’s aesthetic remains loose and kinetic — an exciting reflection of its creator’s spirit.

Mancuso crams all of his passions into the movie, including the puppets (which, with his cartoonish coif, he resembles). He’s playing a character who is occasionally too passive. Yet, he’s made a film that’s confidently, intentionally overwhelming.

Despite a few unfinished edges and missteps, there’s much to savor in Mancuso’s feature debut.

Mancuso showcases his charm and charisma in his directorial debut, a lightly fictionalized romantic farce that lacks substance alongside its persistent whimsy.

Life and love are like a song, and Música will have you falling in love with your toes tappin’ and knees slappin’.

It brims with creativity...[but] if you get past its explosion of style...it starts to diminish rapidly.

I absolutely loved this creative, whimsical, romantic look into a creative’s mind and heart.