david-meldrum Review of CODA

CODA (2021)

Formulaic, Funny And Much That Elevates It Above Similar Films

[7/10 · 14 July 2022]

I avoided this for a while, worried that it may be a clichéd sort of heartwarming, formulaic comedic drama that we've seen many times in the past. It is many of those things; it is also often genuinely funny and insightful. A film that breaks this many barriers and thus holds the level of significance it does should probably be a bit more than that, however. That most of the narrative beats of the film are entirely predictable is a shame, but it's also true that several good performances do elevate it to a degree. A brilliant use of sound dropping away in a music performance scene gives to hearing audience members the most profound moment of empathy in the film; there are other moments, and sequences that hit home in their own way. Emilia Jones' singing voice is something special too, it's not hard to see her career taking a distinctly musical direction from here on out. Ultimately it has more to recommend it than other similar films, and its heart is undoubtedly in a good place. But it also could, and perhaps should, have been more too.