What it’s about
Aspiring puppeteer Rudy (Mancuso) is a young Brazilian-American living in Newark with serious lady problems. His WASPY college girlfriend Haley (Reale) wants him to be more ambitious; finally she dumps him. Meanwhile his overbearing mother Maria (Mancuso, Rudy’s real life mom) wants him to marry someone with Brazilian blood, so keeps inviting eligible candidates to the house. Then in the local fish store, Rudy spots employee Isabella (Mendes), and falls hard. Complications arise when Haley decides she wants to get back together.
Why we love it
Directed and co-written by Mancuso, “Musica” is an exuberant, imaginative, off-kilter ride. Rudy can’t get off the dime partly because, well, his mind works a little differently. For him, every noise he hears is rhythm; everyday happenings become dance sequences or percussive solos in his wildly creative brain. This distracts him, but also inspires some brilliantly conceived and choreographed fantasy sequences. The whole cast shines, with charismatic Mendes a stand-out. Smoove steals every scene he’s in as Anwar, the local food truck operator. Smart, delightful rom-coms are a rarity these days, which makes “Musica” something to celebrate.