Written by: Kevin Berge
I'm not completely opposed to the right to bears arms, but I don't know that I'd be okay finding out my Uber driver had 20 guns in the car. (Image Courtesy of: vimeo.com)
Quick Take: Blindspotting is in equal measure powerful and funny, carrying a genuinely realistic edge to its storytelling. With strong central acting and a story that is surprisingly poignant, this film is far more than it appears to be.
***This review will not contain spoilers for Blindspotting beyond the basic set-up of the story. Anyone can read ahead without concern.***
Going into Blindspotting, it's tough to say what the film is even about. Its title plays off a slang term most likely won't know about coming in, and the only real strong story thread established from the outset is that main character Collin (Daveed Diggs) is serving his parole.
However, sometimes it is best just to jump in regardless of what you know of a film. Blindspotting is far too good to miss, and it is best to walk in blind with the understanding that this film will let you in as it goes along.
At its core, this is a character study on two best friend: Collin and Miles (Rafael Casal). While Collin is trying to get by and reintegrate with his world, Miles is trying to live his life as fully as he can. Understanding their dynamic and relationship is the true key to this film.
They work as movers, making what money they can while staying out of trouble in Oakland where race relations are highly contentious. Explaining anything more than that would spoil the experience. This is a film driven by its emotional journey, a slow-building drama that culminates in dramatic interactions.
At times, it can feel like, even over its short 95-minute run time, this movie is moving too slow, but it's important to understand these characters and their internal tension. It leads to some of the best moments in any film I have seen all year.
While I would call this primarily a drama, it is often a solid comedy. There's a lot of great dialogue-driven humor that keeps the movie from getting too dark. It even uses the comedy to break tension before letting the drama fully envelop the story.
Going into Blindspotting, it's tough to say what the film is even about. Its title plays off a slang term most likely won't know about coming in, and the only real strong story thread established from the outset is that main character Collin (Daveed Diggs) is serving his parole.
However, sometimes it is best just to jump in regardless of what you know of a film. Blindspotting is far too good to miss, and it is best to walk in blind with the understanding that this film will let you in as it goes along.
At its core, this is a character study on two best friend: Collin and Miles (Rafael Casal). While Collin is trying to get by and reintegrate with his world, Miles is trying to live his life as fully as he can. Understanding their dynamic and relationship is the true key to this film.
They work as movers, making what money they can while staying out of trouble in Oakland where race relations are highly contentious. Explaining anything more than that would spoil the experience. This is a film driven by its emotional journey, a slow-building drama that culminates in dramatic interactions.
At times, it can feel like, even over its short 95-minute run time, this movie is moving too slow, but it's important to understand these characters and their internal tension. It leads to some of the best moments in any film I have seen all year.
While I would call this primarily a drama, it is often a solid comedy. There's a lot of great dialogue-driven humor that keeps the movie from getting too dark. It even uses the comedy to break tension before letting the drama fully envelop the story.
Just think of Blindspotting as a buddy cop film except it's a buddy mover film. They make those, right? (Image Courtesy of: michtheater.org)
Race is a primary focus of the story, but it mainly is used to tie into a more universal theme of apparent identity. Collin is seen in several different lights based on his past actions and race despite being a fairly cool and level-headed guy almost all the time.
Miles desperately tries to break from the stereotype of his own racial identity, most apparently by wearing a golden grill. His actions though truly define him as he is highly eccentric but also an impressive salesmen, using his almost nonsensical rhythmic dialogue to glamorize his wares to others.
Together, the pair are a fairly odd couple who often feel like they shouldn't get along. It's only their childhood friendship that keeps them together. Their relationship often seems to push them into situation they are not prepared for, which is especially worrying for Collin who cannot afford to get caught by the cops doing anything.
The acting by both Diggs (Black-ish) and Casal is excellent and truly drives the story along. They had a realistic humanity to their characters that might have been lost in a static delivery of the dialogue. They also wrote the screenplay together, creating a script that flows impressively well from scene to scene.
Director Carlos López Estrada (Identity Theft) brings the most out of his cast as well as the scenes in this film that occasionally verge on dreamlike. His work with cinematographer Robby Baumgartner (The Guest) stands out most impressively for its use of color with some remarkable moments of almost pure monochrome.
The final third of this movie has so many moments that will long linger in my memory. As a complete film experience, it is one of the best of the year with few rivaling it in terms of emotional resonance and lasting effect. I did not know what to expect going in but am glad I took a chance on one of the year's best under-the-radar hits.
Miles desperately tries to break from the stereotype of his own racial identity, most apparently by wearing a golden grill. His actions though truly define him as he is highly eccentric but also an impressive salesmen, using his almost nonsensical rhythmic dialogue to glamorize his wares to others.
Together, the pair are a fairly odd couple who often feel like they shouldn't get along. It's only their childhood friendship that keeps them together. Their relationship often seems to push them into situation they are not prepared for, which is especially worrying for Collin who cannot afford to get caught by the cops doing anything.
The acting by both Diggs (Black-ish) and Casal is excellent and truly drives the story along. They had a realistic humanity to their characters that might have been lost in a static delivery of the dialogue. They also wrote the screenplay together, creating a script that flows impressively well from scene to scene.
Director Carlos López Estrada (Identity Theft) brings the most out of his cast as well as the scenes in this film that occasionally verge on dreamlike. His work with cinematographer Robby Baumgartner (The Guest) stands out most impressively for its use of color with some remarkable moments of almost pure monochrome.
The final third of this movie has so many moments that will long linger in my memory. As a complete film experience, it is one of the best of the year with few rivaling it in terms of emotional resonance and lasting effect. I did not know what to expect going in but am glad I took a chance on one of the year's best under-the-radar hits.
