MUSIC
US, 2021, 107 minutes, Colour.
Kate Hudson, Maddie Ziegler, Leslie Odom Jr, Hector Elizondo, Mary Kay Place, Juliette Lewis, Ben Schwartz, Beto Calvillo, Tig Notaro.
Directed by Sia.
Music has an immediate huge target audience, longtime fans of singer Sia (Australian musician and singer from Adelaide, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler), coming to prominence in the United States in the mid-2010s, recording success as well as quite a number of music videos (a number of them directed by Sia herself). This is her first feature-length film.
For audiences not familiar with Sia, it may take some time to get used to her musical style and the insertion of songs and dance in this drama. For others, who do not respond to music videos, there will be some puzzlement, perhaps, and moving on.
Originally, this was to be a drama, a story about a young woman on the autistic spectrum, coping with life and her reliance on music, her being cared for by her grandmother, Mary Kay Place, the care of the neighbour, Hector Elizondo, and the kindly man from down under store, Leslie Odom Jr. She also has a half sister, Zu, played by Kate Hudson, who has a history of alcohol and drug dependence, was on probation, involved in group therapy.
Music herself is played by actress and dancer, Maddie Ziegler, who has the difficult task of portraying an autistic young woman as well as the challenges to communicating this to the audience.
The thrust of the drama is Zu’s trying to take care of Music, successes and failures, Zu responding to the emotional and caring demands, but financially straightened, getting income for being a drug deliverer, but collapsing, deciding to put Music into care but changing her mind. It is one of those dramas that makes demands, emotionally, on the audience.
However, Sia decided that the film would be a musical. Right from the beginning, during the credits, and at various stages of insertion throughout the film, there are song and dance routines, highly stylised, the lyrics of the songs echoing some of the themes of the drama. Kate Hudson and Maddie Ziegler, as well as Sia, singing the songs throughout the film.
Which means then that the film is something of a jigsaw, the dramatic sequences, and the music video pieces, connecting for Sia’s admirers, jolting for unprepared audiences who are trying to respond. One of the strange aspects of the music videos is the use of colour, pastels, unusual (to say the least) costuming, the movement and dance, and the involvement of the central characters.
Overall, the film is optimistic, the presentation of the autistic girl quite sympathetic, the rehabilitation story of Zu persuasive enough, and relying on the always rather effervescent screen personality of Kate Hudson. Leslie Odom Jr (winner of a Tony award for Hamilton) is sympathetic and it is a pleasure to see Hector Elizondo and Mary Kay Place.
Certainly for the fans – for others, uncertain.
1. The title? Music herself? Autistic? The headphones and reliance on music?
2. The Californian setting, the city, the streets, apartment blocks, police precincts, hospitals and institutions?
3. Sia, her music, songs, music videos, the visual style, choreography, costumes?
4. The film intended as a drama? The focus on Music and her life and managing, with her grandmother and kindness, the routines, breakfast with the eggs, going for the walk, the response to the music, saying she was going to bed? Difficulties and seizures, the help from George, the help from Ebo? Felix on the other side of the road watching her walking, others being supportive?
5. Her grandmother’s death, her seeming not to notice, George entering, her grief and upset?
6. Zu, half sister, not close to Music in the past, the phone call and her grandmother’s death, going to the apartment, searching what remained, no money, the souvenirs? Her own background, drugs and alcohol, as a courier for selling drugs, her relationship with Rudy, his control over her? Her knowing George from the past? Encountering Ebo and his kindness? Her attempts to help Music, breakfast, the walks, the routines? Her own difficulties, counsellors, the police, probation? The HIV drugs and the contact with Ebo? Her decision to put Music into care, taking her away, intruding on the wedding scene, the music? Her collapse, drinking, the fight, the injuries, going home? Help from George, from Ebo? A future?
7. George, neighbour, sympathetic, his help?
8. Ebo, from Ghana, keeping to himself, his story, helping with Music, the attraction to Zu? His personal difficulties, the HIV drugs? His coaching boxing, work with Felix, Felix, the bout, his embracing his opponent? The wedding, dressed up, his speech? Zu and Music intruding, the music?
9. Felix, adopted by the Koreans, their shop, the vicious father and his challenges, Felix and his size, quiet, helping with Music, supervising her work? The boxing, the boxing, the bout, Ebo’s help, his father urging, his embracing his opponent? At home, the vicious treatment by the father? Ebo’s death Felix’s death?
10. Drug deals, institutions and drug groups, rehabilitation, the police?
11. The film as a musical, the range of songs, the choreography, the lyrics and the themes, the bright and pastel costumes, the performances (and some of the choreography and bright costumes incongruous?), The impact of the songs inserted into the drama?
12. Reconciliation, a happy ending – and the television program throughout, the puppets, Tig as compere – and the final appearance during the credits?
