Black Widow: Marvel is Back on the Big Screen!

Watching Black Widow in an IMAX theater on opening weekend was a grand experience. The theater was mostly full, the audience was excited, and once the movie started, there was lots of laughter, cheering, and whooping as the events unfolded in classic Marvel fashion. After a month of going to see some lovely movies in mostly empty theaters, I finally felt like I had had the complete cinematic experience. And remembered what a difference it makes to watch a Marvel movie in a theater versus trying to watch one of their TV series on Disney+ at home.

First off, this is the first Marvel movie directed by a woman, Cate Shortland, and THANK GOD. Marvel had gotten a lot of flack for never having a female character star in a standalone film (which they finally rectified in 2019 with Captain Marvel) and it's unfortunate that the next one we got is a prequel of sorts since Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff died in Avengers: Endgame (spoiler alert? You should have known that going in, come on). So it's a little bittersweet, but Shortland takes this material, this incredible cast, and runs away with it. Scarlett Johansson reprises her role (presumably for the final time?) as Natasha and Florence Pugh is introduced (presumably not for the final time?) as her younger sister, Yelena. We also have Rachel Weisz and David Harbour playing their "parents," and that's about all I'm willing to tell you about the plot. While there are a lot of references to events from other Marvel films (this film takes place shortly after Captain America: Civil War), you don't really need to remember anything (I certainly didn't!) to sit back and enjoy. Because this is a tour-de-force action movie and you've got a wild ride ahead.

Much like when Wonder Woman came out, I was re-reminded of how excellent it is when we get to see women fight on screen. There is so much inventive stunt choreography going on here, with Johansson and Pugh doing a lot of stunts themselves but also relying on some incredible stuntwomen along the way. And as the plot of this movie hinges on a whole cadre of women like them who have been trained to be assassins, you are going to be treated to multiple action sequences where women are just whaling on each other or other people who can't stand a chance, and it is oh-so gratifying. Everyone gives as good as they get, and I always enjoy how women have a lot less ego about how they look in fight scenes - if they're ultimately meant to win the fight, they don't care if they get roughed up along the way, and that allows for a much more realistic and tense scene as you watch these battles take place. And don't fret, it isn't just all hand-to-hand combat - there are a lot of helicopters and cars and dazzling sequences of sliding along bannisters and roofs to make quick getaways as well.

Finally, this is a Marvel movie, so it is funny. Written by Eric Pearson, the script zips along but always takes time to breathe and throw in those comedic beats that are so crucial to ensuring that Marvel characters don't take themselves too seriously. There's a whole thing about how Natasha "poses" when she's in a fight, there's a lot of sibling rivalry and banter between the two sisters, and David Harbour has a nice time chewing the scenery with a character who is slightly pathetic and being rapidly left behind in the new world order. So watch Black Widow. There's action, there's intrigue, there are laughs, and there are a lot of women violently and emphatically taking down the patriarchy. It's exactly what we need.

July Movie Kickoff: Summer of Soul, Zola, No Sudden Move

It seems like filmmakers are making up for 2020 by flooding the movie market in 2021. As a result, I found myself watching three movies in three days during the July 4th weekend. These movies ran the gamut of genres so settle in: you’re about to find your next weekend recommendation!

Summer of Soul: Directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (an incredible musician and music historian, who you might also know as the drummer of The Roots, the band on the Tonight Show), this documentary tells the story of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The festival took place over six weekends in Harlem and featured a roster of incredible talent, including such folk like Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Mahalia Jackson, Gladys Knight & the Pips, etc. However, like most great moments of Black joy, this festival was forgotten - the Moon Landing took place during one of the weekends, and later that summer, Woodstock happened and there was only room for society to remember one great music festival, so the Harlem one took a back seat. Even though the entire event had been filmed, the producer couldn't get anyone interested in buying the footage, so it sat in a basement for 50 years until it was finally unearthed and shared with the world via this glorious documentary.

No joke - I spent two solid hours dancing in my seat while watching this film. The music is a relentless onslaught of greatness and it's impossible not to smile and sway as you're being serenaded by some of the best musicians known to man. It's also an incredible history lesson, given that America was at a tipping point in the Civil Rights movement when tensions were flaring after multiple assassinations of prominent figures, but also Black people were starting to proudly declare that "Black is beautiful" and take ownership of their identities. Afros and African designs were the norm, the New York Times moved to use the word "Black" instead of "Negro" after lobbying from journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault (she is one of the people interviewed in this film and her whole personal story is incredible and worthy of its own movie), and we even get some ethnomusicology with the people of East Harlem who brought their Latin influences with amazing Afro-Caribbean beats that punctuated this festival. 

Watch this movie - it is pretty perfect and you will both learn something and be enormously entertained. I dare anyone to not get chills when Nina Simone takes the stage or have a big smile on their face when The 5th Dimension start singing Aquarius (or when watching the older members rewatch that footage and beam in pride). I mean...COME ON. 

Zola: A movie based on a Twitter thread? Sounds like it would be vapid and insubstantial. But nope. It's a dark, funny, twisty thrill ride that perfectly captures our social media era and the inherent dangers of going off on adventures with people you've just met. 

Taylour Paige and Riley Keough play Zola and Stefani, two women who are going down to Florida for a weekend to make some quick money stripping at some clubs. They met when Zola waited on Stefani at a restaurant, and Zola thinks nothing of it when Stefani calls her up with this sudden proposal to make some quick money. They embark on a road trip with Stefani's boyfriend Derrek (Nicholas Braun, aka Cousin Greg from Succession, who is simply perfect casting for hapless fools who have no idea what's happening around them), and the mysterious X (Colman Domingo), a man whose name Zola won't get until the end of the movie, but who is apparently Stefani's roommate. 

Well, things go haywire quickly. Turns out X isn't a roommate, he's Stefani's pimp, and Zola is gonna get into some hot water if she doesn't help Stefani turn some tricks during this weekend. What follows is a sleazy, but somehow still hilarious film where Zola does whatever she can to keep the craziness at bay and just make it through this weekend. Directed by Janicza Bravo, and co-written by her and heralded playwright Jeremy O. Harris, this movie absolutely zips along, throwing you from one insane scenario to the next. Also, I HAVE to point out that because the director is a woman, even though this movie contains a lot of sexual content, both men and women are equally exploited (I got more male full frontal nudity in this one film than I've ever seen in all the films I've watched before) and there was also a hilarious scene in a public restroom where, for the first time, I accurately saw a cinematic depiction of how different women pee. It's amazing what diversity behind the camera can mean in terms of what we get onscreen.  

I came home and read the original Twitter thread posted by the real-life Zola in 2015, and the film captures almost all of it verbatim. It is an epic story, told by some epic filmmakers and actors, and you won't be bored for a second. Throughout the movie you'll also hear the familiar chirps and pings that accompany social media posts and you'll feel like you're texting about this movie as you're watching it. It's a bizarre, immersive experience, and well worth your time. 

No Sudden Move: Steven Soderbergh directed and the cast is a who's who of talent, including Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, Jon Hamm, David Harbour, Brendan Fraser, Amy Seimetz, Julia Fox, Kieran Culkin, and so on and so forth. The poster lists them all, but if you don't read up too much about it beforehand, you'll also get a fun cameo that you didn't expect towards the end.

That being said, I'd be hard pressed to walk you through the plot. Set in 1950s Detroit, this is about some small-time gangsters who get roped into what should be a fairly simple job. However, it doesn't go according to plan, and as they try to unravel what went wrong and find out who was ultimately responsible for all the events they've set into motion, they uncover an increasingly complicated scheme that involves some high-up people doing some shady things. You can sort through all the machinations yourself, I was not able to keep up.

This movie has been getting a lot of critical love, so by all means, go forth and enjoy it! It's classic Soderbergh, with witty repartee and actors who look like they're having a whale of a time, but ultimately, the plot was too convoluted for my liking. Also, the setting was a bit dark and grimy, and while it was impeccably shot (natch), you get tired after a while of just watching a bunch of men in suits swanning around with bags of cash and pistols. The film wasn't as funny as the Ocean's trilogy or some of Soderbergh's lighter heist films, and felt a bit too weighty and portentous in terms of its stakes. I prefer my heist films to have less of a body count, you know? So give it a try if you're ordinarily a fan of this filmmaker and this insane cast, but don't be too disappointed if it can't quite measure up. 

Weekend Watch: Luca & Starstruck

As another long weekend approaches in the US, perhaps you need some distractions. Well I've got one family-friendly option and one not-so-family-friendly option that are sure to delight you in between your attempts at patriotic fervor!

Luca: If you're in the mood for some lush summery Pixar gorgeousness, then this is the movie for you. I have been pining for the beach lately and while I haven't been able to make it yet, watching this movie felt like a satisfying way to scratch my itch for ocean waves and sun (though the movie does feature a lot of rainy days on the Italian Riviera, for certain plot reasons). 

The movie tells the story of a young sea monster named Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), who is increasingly curious about the life that humans lead above ground and out of the sea. His mother (Maya Rudolph) has tried to instill a sense of terror in him about humans and the dangers of leaving the sea, but of course, kids will be kids, and he ends up finding a fellow monster, Alberto (Jake Dylan Grazer) who has been living above ground for a while. To be clear, these sea monsters look exactly like humans when their skin is dry, so no one is suspicious when they arrive at the neighboring town of Portorosso. Here, they befriend a human girl named Giulia (Emma Berman), and get up to all manner of adventures as they deal with the local bully, Ercole (Saverio Raimondo). 

The story is sweet and simple - no unnecessarily convoluted Pixar machinations here, and certainly no existential dread to contend with. Many folks have seen this movie as an allegory for LGBT+ kids who feel different and have to find their place in society, which is something the filmmakers have denied, but you can certainly view this story with that lens if you choose. Most importantly, though, this is a beautifully animated film - the scales on the sea monsters are a shimmering multi-faceted riot of colors, and every plate of pasta looks good enough to eat off the screen. The animators spent a lot of time in Italy to get the settings just right (lucky them!) and you'll honestly feel like you've been on a grand vacation by the time you're done. My only quibble was why the main characters speak with American accents when they are supposed to be very Italian. Not sure if that qualifies as a hate crime, but hey, that's Hollywood for you!

Starstruck: Do you need a hilarious and delightful romantic comedy starring two very charismatic leads and oodles of fun supporting characters? Of course you do! Well, Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden have co-written Starstruck, a six-episode series that you will binge in one afternoon and then possibly be ready to re-watch the next day because it is so damn charming. 

The show follows Jessie (Rose Matafeo), a Kiwi immigrant in London, who has a one-night stand with famous actor, Tom Kapoor (Nikesh Patel, who I've been jonesing to see since Four Weddings and a Funeral). Over the course of the six episodes, you will be subject to their will-they-won't-they romance, which encounters every possible stumbling block from New Year's Eve to Christmas. While the romance is ostensibly the point of the show, there is also so much hilarity to be had from Jessie's relationships with her coworkers and flatmate Kate (Emma Sidi, who is Matafeo's flatmate in real-life, a fact that seems very obvious given the amount of chemistry and camaraderie the two clearly share on screen). One of my favorite British comedians, Sindhu Vee, also puts in a few cameos as a woman who has hired Jessie to be her nanny, and Minnie Driver also unexpectedly pops up at one point, just to keep the lolz going. 

This show is a real gem, a perfectly crafted piece of British-Kiwi comedy that knows exactly what story it wants to tell, and is not too precious about it. The costumes and production design are also excellent - despite their zany antics, these characters feel like real people and their apartments feel so lived-in and true to their personalities. All of the dinner party scenes are a real joy, and while I think this series told a beautiful and complete story, I am selfish enough to hope that maybe Matafeo and Snedden could write a second series. If not, I hope they come up with a new show, because I need more joyous TV like this in my life. 

A Quiet Place Part II: A Perfect Sequel

Before I get into an actual review of A Quiet Place Part II, I need to explain the circumstances around how I watched this movie. I went to a 10:30am showing at my local theater. When I got to the auditorium, I was the only one there, which is not the most comforting feeling when you're about to settle in for a horror movie - you kind of want some fellow scaredy-cats screaming with you in the audience, you know? But halfway through the previews, an older woman showed up and paused when she saw the admittedly bizarre sight of me sitting all alone in the middle of the auditorium. She then proceeded to take a seat in the row in front of me, and the two of us indulged in this cinematic spectacle alone but together, two New Yorkers spending Sunday morning the way God intended. It was a beautiful thing. After the movie ended, we ran into each other in the bathroom and I decided to tell her, "I was so glad you showed up, it would have been scary to watch that movie alone." And she smiled and in a German accent went, "Yeah, it was a great movie." And honestly, that's all the review you need. But if you want more, let's get into it. 

First, you might need to refresh your memory with my review of A Quiet Place. Or you could go into the movie cold, because it starts at the very beginning, giving us a flashback that even the original movie never bothered with, showing us how the aliens arrived on Earth and proceeded to wreak havoc. This is a clever bit of storytelling in several ways - it catches people up who never saw the original movie, it re-introduces the Abbotts and their family dynamics, and it newly introduces Cillian Murphy as Emmett, a friend of the family who we never met in A Quiet Place but who will now become a critical element in their goal to save humanity.

Yes, that's where this sequel is going. After the flashback to Day 1, we pick right back up where we left off, with Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and her children having just killed a bunch of aliens but with their home completely destroyed. Now they have to make their way to any survivors, which is how they find Emmett. He is a bitter recluse, having lost his entire family at this point, and he isn't too thrilled about having to help the Abbotts. But Regan, the deaf teenage daughter (Millicent Simmonds), who figured out in the last movie that the feedback given out by her hearing aid could incapacitate the aliens, now has a plan to weaponize that on a wider scale via a radio station that seems to be operated by other survivors. She just needs to figure out how to get to them, and Emmett becomes her unwitting companion on that journey while Evelyn stays behind with her newborn baby and injured son Marcus (Noah Jupe).

While Emily Blunt was the star of the first movie, this sequel really allows the kids to shine. Regan is a stalwart heroine, not letting her deafness serve as any kind of impediment to going on an absolutely insane mission to save the world. While Marcus deals with all manner of horrors as he is trapped in a shelter that offers up some crucial protections against making any noises that could grab the aliens' attention, but comes with its own perils. I won't give anything away, but oh man, this movie is brimming with clever details where you just know something awful is going to happen if a character forgets to attend to that one little thing, and yup, it's every bit as terrifying and satisfying as you expect when those details come back to haunt them. 

Sound design is such a critical part of these movies, and I was struck again at how excellently sound is deployed or withheld throughout the film. When we're pivoting to Regan's perspective, everything goes deathly silent to reflect her deafness; my fellow audience member and I were so still in our seats, loath to make any movements lest the aliens come after us. In tense moments, the skillful score by Marco Beltrami propels you to the edge of your seat and sets you up for the next jump scare. (Speaking of jump scares, this movie is BRIMMING with them, and honestly, if you have a pacemaker or any kind of heart condition, stay away. This movie is NOT for you.) And in the in-between moments, when we're just watching these characters walk through the woods or nervously scour a pharmacy, you will be aware of every crackling leaf and every footstep. This is why you should watch this movie in the theater - I know it's hard to understand why it's important when so much of this movie is completely silent, but that's the point. If you're watching at home, you'll be distracted by other noises, but in a movie theater, when the Dolby sound just shuts down on you and you have to hear the sound of your own breathing? That's some nerve-wracking shit.

Written and directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place Part II is a spectacular sequel. The script is so clever, offering up little tidbits that then become hugely important plot points to drive the narrative forward and save the day. These actors know these characters like the back of their hands now and offer up some tense and wondrous performances that will make you cheer. And I have to give a special shout-out to the ending. Many writer-directors have a tendency to get so caught up in their world that they then have to milk the ending for all it's worth, giving us all manner of epilogues and assurances. But Krasinski knows how to end his movie on a high - the important work is done, we don't need to see the rest. To be clear, if he writes A Quiet Place Part III, I will go see it ASAP. But if he doesn't, I'm perfectly content with how he chose to wrap up this amazing story. 

The Sparks Brothers: Your New Favorite Band

Recently, my Twitter timeline featured a lot of tweets about The Sparks Brothers, a new documentary by Edgar Wright about some band that musicians really seemed to admire, but were not that famous. I certainly had never heard of them, but I love anything Edgar Wright does and the interviews in this film seemed to feature a lot of actors and musicians I like, so I figured they wouldn't steer me wrong. Well I figured correctly and was treated to a 140-minute extravaganza detailing the wondrous journey of this bizarre band. 

The film is the story of Ron and Russell Mael, the two brothers who make up the band, Sparks. They have been making music for five decades, ever since the band first formed in 1967, and Wright offers up a loving and thorough ode to their evolution across all those years. We get the history of these brothers, who were born and raised in California, but then went on to form this band that became so famous in the UK and Europe that most of their fans were convinced they were a British band. And we get a detailed summary of each album they released, including the inspiration behind the music and the history of what was going on with the band at the time. So far, they have released 25 (!) albums, and each one is completely different from the last, so there is a LOT to unpack here.

This movie takes you on a wild journey and even if you think that this music is not for you, you may find yourself changing your mind by the end. Because Sparks has hit every genre imaginable, so somewhere in those 25 albums, you're gonna find something that tickles your fancy. And it's simply impossible to not admire these brothers. They are artists in every sense of the word - they haven't been chasing fame for all these years but have been pursuing their delirious and delightful musical vision. Many of the interviews feature fans pointing out their favorite lyrics from a Sparks song, and it ranges from outright silly to downright emotional, and everything in between. My personal favorite was a song called My Baby's Taking Me Home, but I would be hard-pressed to explain why. In fact, having now written that sentence, I am going to be humming that song for the rest of the day. 

These brothers have been working together for so long but they have settled into a perfect routine. They each have their contribution to the band and it's wonderful to see how they play off of each other and use each others strengths to elevate their material. Russell was the younger brother, the "pretty boy" with an ethereal voice, while Ron was the older, more protective brother, who wrote all the lyrics and stood by the sidelines playing his keyboard and drawing comparisons to Adolf Hitler because of his mustache (that's a whole ridiculous and amazing thing). So yeah, watch The Sparks Brothers. You will have absolutely no idea what you're getting into, but I guarantee that you're in for a treat. If Edgar Wright's goal was to create a new generation of Sparks fans with this movie, mission accomplished. 

Lupin: Move Aside Herlock Sholmes

(Before I begin this review, no, that is not a typo in the title, it is referring to the second collection of Lupin stories that is genuinely--and hilariously--called Arsene Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes). 

When Part 1 of Lupin premiered on Netflix in January, I didn't pay any attention. What did I care about a French detective show that was inspired by the Arsene Lupin detective stories written by Maurice Leblanc in the early 1900s? But then I started noticing a lot of great buzz about this show--Twitter had come alive and was raving about it--so apparently it was time to take notice. My friend Peggy and I decided to watch "together" (she is in California, so it was a Zoom watch situation) and I immediately regretted suggesting this activity for a weeknight. Because of course we couldn't stop with one episode. We ended up watching three the first night and then polishing off the final two the next night, at which point we yelled "why are there only five episodes, WHEN IS PART 2!"

Well Part 2 just dropped this month and Peggy and I cued it up over another two-night binge. And by the end, we were just as delighted by the whole thing as we were back in January, with the added bonus that Part 2 wrapped up all the storylines a bit more neatly so we weren't left with a giant cliffhanger for six months.

If you're one of the few souls on this planet who have yet to experience this phenomenon, here's a quick primer. The show follows Assane Diop (played by the magnetic Omar Sy, who the French already loved and now the whole world wants to play James Bond), a French-Senegalese immigrant who is determined to avenge the death of his father, who was framed for a robbery by the wealthy Pellegrini family 25 years ago. Assane takes his inspiration from the Arsene Lupin books, following the twisty plots, disguises, and schemes concocted by that "gentleman burglar" to plot his own takedown of the Pellegrinis and ensure that justice is finally done. What follows are numerous escapades where Assane is the puppet master and we as the audience just have to blindly follow along and marvel as we go back and forth in time to understand how he pulls off each complex heist.

The other characters in this show include Assane's best friend Ben (Antoine Guoy), his ex-girlfriend Claire (Ludivine Sagnier), and their son Raoul (Etan Simon). And we have the hapless police detectives on the other side who are trying to figure out who the hell is responsible for this crime spree across Paris. Of these detectives, only Youssef Guedira (Soufiane Guerrab) is close to cracking the case because he is a massive Arsene Lupin fan and starts to piece together that the criminal he's chasing is a fellow Lupin lover. Of course, his colleagues deride his fanciful theory, much to their detriment.

Lupin only consists of ten episodes (so far) so I won't go any further. Suffice to say, you need to set aside a weekend and indulge in an epic bingewatch of this glorious show. It's shot beautifully and will make you pine for a trip to Paris, and is scripted so elegantly that you will have multiple "omg" moments as yet another twist is revealed. Assane is constantly playing the long game and your feeble mind will have to catch up to his machinations, but it is such a puzzly and splendid journey. 

In the Heights: NYC Is Back Baby!

It can come as no surprise to anyone that I seized the chance to watch In the Heights on opening weekend. After all, this movie is the reason I chose to reactivate my AMC membership a month early and head back to the cinema. A movie based off a musical with lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, directed by Jon Chu, and all taking place in my beloved Manhattan in the height of summer? Yes please. 

Our protagonist is Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), a Dominican-American bodega owner who inherited the store from his father but harbors his suenito (i.e. "little dream") to return to the DR where he can run a bar on the beach. However, in the opening song that kicks off this glorious film, you will get introduced to the entire barrio of Washington Heights and the cast of characters that are so integral to his life. There's his wonderful Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz), who isn't actually anyone's abuela but is the local matriarch who ensures everyone is taken care of. There's his cousin, Sonny (Gregory Dias IV), who helps him out in the bodega. Then there's Kevin Rosario (Jimmy Smits, getting to belt out some tunes!), who runs a local cab company and is excited to see his daughter Nina (Leslie Grace), who is back home after her first year at Stanford. Everyone is very proud of Nina for making it out of the Heights, but she has some complicated feelings about her new life in university. She also has a love interest in Benny (Corey Hawkins) who works for her father, while Usnavi's own love interest is the lovely Vanessa (Melissa Barera) who works at the local hair salon but has her own suenito of being a fashion designer.

It's a sprawling cast, and I haven't even gotten into all the salon ladies or the piraguero (played by Lin-Manual Miranda) who is in constant conflict with the Mister Softee truck (owned by an actor you may also recognize from Hamilton - that's a fun cameo for you to watch out for!). But don't worry, you are in extremely capable hands, because with the brilliant script by Quiara Alegria Hudes (who wrote the book for the musical), the absolutely luscious songs by Lin-Manual Miranda, Alex Lacamoire, and Bill Sherman, and the whipsmart direction from Jon Chu, you're not going to get lost for even a second. Instead you are going to be immersed in a riotous, colorful, cacophonous, joyous celebration of this neighborhood and its people. 

The timeline is driven by an impending blackout, which is one of the most ominous events a New Yorker can experience in the summer. In the lead up, we get to know these people and start to witness some of the familial tensions and burgeoning romances. Things comes to a head as the lights go out and we have our big climax. And following that, we slowly resolve all these storylines and see if everyone can make their dreams come true, even just a little. You'll have to see it for yourself, but I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. 

Now let's talk about the songs. They are so impeccable. Filled with impossible rhymes, peppered with Spanglish, evoking every human emotion under the sun, telling tales of hope, loss, and love. And my favorite would have to be "96,000" which takes place in a public pool and involves choreography, costumes, sets, and production design that would be worthy of an old-school MGM musical. In this song, everyone talks about what they would do if they had a winning lottery ticket and it singlehandedly tells you everything you need to know about all of these characters and their motivations. It's such clever exposition and executed to perfection. 

This movie is also a celebration of Hispanic heritage. Hollywood movies about Latinx people are so fond of treating them like a monolith but here we have a collection of folk from a bunch of different countries, all talking about their different experiences. Everyone came over here in search of a better life, but they came from Cuba, Puerto Rico, DR, Mexico, etc. and while they speak a common language, they don't all have a common heritage. There's a constant refrain of characters wondering what their lives might have been like if they had never come to New York. But this movie proceeds to showcase all the reasons they stayed and the unity they have come to feel now that they are all citizens of the Heights. 

Jon Chu's last movie was Crazy Rich Asians and I couldn't help grinning as I found parallels between that movie and In the Heights. That film also had the task of portraying characters who are historically viewed as a monolith in Hollywood (i.e. Asians) and tapping into their humanity and individuality. It also used food as a way to convey culture and made me very hungry, which is a theme that is repeated to great effect in this film. Oh man, every time they showed the steaming bowls of food lovingly prepared by Abuela Claudia or the delicious ice-cold piraguas being sold on the streets, I was sorely tempted. This movie is a visual, auditory, and gustatory treat. Watch it during a heatwave for maximum effect, but mostly, just watch it. It will charm and delight you and is absolutely the blockbuster we needed to formally kick off the summer.