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.
Review of CODA
CODA
(2021)
Formulaic, Funny And Much That Elevates It Above Similar Films
14 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers