Mr. Rudy Mancuso is ready for his close up in the form of Música. A film he co-wrote, directed and stars in from Amazon MGM Studios. Oh yeah, Música is also loosely based on his real life.
In the rom-com, Mancuso is a charismatic but directionless young street performer from Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood, who has a unique view of the world. Thanks to a rare condition called synesthesia, he experiences everyday noises. From car horns to water droplets to doors slamming – as a series of complex rhythms. He struggles to keep the music in his head at bay. But it’s not so easily accomplished.
When he’s not taking classes to finish his college degree or staging puppet performances for commuters on the streets of the Ironbound’s close-knit Brazilian community. Rudy is trying to convince his girlfriend, Haley (Francesca Reale), that he will eventually figure things out. He lives with his mother, Maria (played by the actor’s real-life mother, Maria Mancuso). She wants her son to dump Haley and settle down with a nice Brazilian girl from the neighborhood. Rudy also gets advice on life and love from his best friend, Anwar (comedian J.B. Smoove). The location a food truck operator whose cultural identity morphs based on where his truck is parked on any given day.
Matters take a turn for the chaotic when Rudy is literally knocked out by a flying piece of frozen fish. The accident leads to an encounter with Isabella (Camila Mendes). A beautiful young Brazilian woman who works in the local fish market. She may understand Rudy in ways nobody else ever has. Caught in a love triangle, Rudy tries to balance his cultural heritage, the women in his life and the música inside his head.
The trailer looks witty, charming and gave us In the Heights vibes. With the number of Latino actors nabbing leading men roles on the silver screen ever so sparse. It’s refreshing to see Mancuso take matters into his own hands, and by the looks of the trailer he does so adeptly.
Música is set to premiere at this year’s SXSW Festival and will be available globally on Amazon Prime Video starting April 4. Until then, peep the charming trailer here.
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