Director: Sian Heder
Writer/s: Sian Heder, Victoria Bedos, Stanislas Carré de Malberg, Éric Lartigau, Thomas Bidegain
Starring: Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant, Marlee Matlin, Eugenio Derbez, and more.

The Intro:
Listen, I can swallow my pride. Watch… I talked so much s*@! on Apple TV and said they wouldn’t amount to anything. Here we are with the 2022 Academy Awards and we are staring at a best picture nominee in “CODA.” Not only that, but they also hold another favorite I recently watched in “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” So kudos to you, Apple TV. ANYWAY… “CODA”… Oscar bait heart-warming film or actual damn good contender? Let’s dig in.

IMDb Summary:
“As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family’s fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her love of music by wanting to go to Berklee College of Music and her fear of abandoning her parents.”

The Oberrating:
SPOILER ALERT… not really… THIS MOVIE IS DAMN GOOD! For real though, from the brief glimpses I had at the movie and the headlines I saw being generated, I figured it could be good but I had no idea it’d be this good. First off, this is probably one of the funniest best picture nominees that I can think of in recent years. “CODA” was genuinely hilarious with just about every interaction between the Rossi family. The parents (Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin) are full of character and personality and literally had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions. Just some good quality entertainment in the form of comedy that you do not typically find in an Oscar Best Picture.

Emilia Jones flourishes as the lead. She was heavily involved in dedicating herself to the role by learning sign language, piano, and even operating parts of a fishing vessel. Her talent as an actor shows, and quite frankly I get a strong vibe that this woman is going to be on the rise.
A hidden gem sits in the teacher and motivator of the film. That gem is Eugenio Derbez playing Bernardo Villalobos. My word was this man funny and full of character. He drives our lead to pursue her dreams and is quite influential in doing so. He had me laughing, feeling, and hanging on everything he did. Outstanding support.

While I have plenty to sing (ha) about for “CODA,” it follows the coming-of-age format and with that comes some typical tropes that is almost impossible to avoid. Unfortunately they don’t work too well for me, but as you’ll see with my rating, it doesn’t harm it too much.

The Wrap-Up:
“CODA” is a feel-good movie that has you ooo-ing and awe-ing by its end while also being a solid representation for the deaf community. Similar in fashion to last year’s strong Best Picture nominee “Sound of Metal.” I had no clue I’d love it as much as I did, but here we are. A strong contender for this years race and a new forever favorite in my heart. Catch “CODA” if you have the means to do so.

Rating: 4/5

References:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10366460/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10366460/?ref_=ttpl_pl_tt

Edited by Abby McNatt




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