I’m not intentionally watching films that show America in a bad light I promise. Sure it starts all fun and games, with gangsters, punch-ups and nightclubs, give it a few minutes though and we cut to the chase, racism. There’s much more going on here than just black and white. Throw in cultural differences, class clashes, homophobia, it’s a melting pot of issues. Sometimes played for laughs with the racism matter of fact, sometimes not, with blood drawn. Prejudices take many forms. The balm that eases tensions, teaches respect... music. As Viggo Mortensen’s character says “It’s a complicated world”, but watching him and Mahershala Ali, learn from each other as they travel the deep south really is pretty wonderful. As the (true) story progresses, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s getting a little softer, twee, less edgy, but really it’s just hopeful. In a country that still has race issues, it needs all the hope it can get.
7/10
