Catching up on yet another film that I missed from last year, I was pleasantly surprised by Brett Haley's Hearts Beat Loud. There is so much to love about this film and the wholesome energy that is created from it. This film is another entry into a very generic genre, but the pure heart and chemistry that radiated between these two leads is undeniable and made for such an easygoing experience. Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons star and while their performances are doable and the script is fine, there is not much else that really gives this movie a reason for existing. A film without conflict may not always be the most interesting, but sometimes that is just what audiences need. Even in a film seemingly sponsored by Spotify, there is much joy to be found in the loving relationship between these two and the story they shared.
Frank (Nick Offerman) and Sam (Kiersey Clemons) are a pair of father-daughter musicians with different goals in mind. While Frank is sad about having to close down his record shop and Sam is stressed about moving away to UCLA for med school, they start writing and recording songs together and end up going viral online with one of their songs. Confused about what lies in her future, Sam struggles to decide whether to stay in New York with her dad and girlfriend Rose (Sasha Lane) or pursue her previous passion of becoming a doctor. Brett Haley and Marc Basch's script provides the most joy throughout this entire film. The two characters of Frank and Sam are so well-written and even though their motivations and development throughout the movie are painfully typical, one can not help but love their relationship. The chemistry between Offerman and Clemons is very plain to see and this made for such a loving and obviously caring dynamic between the two. None of this film's conflict stemmed from Frank being a bad father, but rather him trying to unsuccessfully instill his dream in his daughter. This is what the majority of the plot revolved around and even though it might not have been the most creative writing, it fit this story flawlessly. I also really enjoyed how Sam and her girlfriend were presented as gay characters without that characteristic being a part of the film's conflict. It is always refreshing to see those characters normalized in film, as not making any kind of deal about it always suits them much better. The chemistry between this cast is very apparent and it is also obvious that they all cared so much about this story. I love how passionate every cast member seemed and I felt like they all had a truly warm time making this film. And of course, any movie is made better by a surprise performance from Toni Collette (which I was given NO warning for!).
In addition to Hearts Beat Loud's adorable relationship between the leads, the music in this film is one of its strongest elements. I had not heard any songs from this film, but the indie-synth score that riddled every scene was such a perfect and powerful choice. It accompanied the story very well, creating a friendly and accepting environment for these characters to interact in. My only issues with this film are that it seems to lack any type of message and there is nearly no written conflict that kept me truly engaged. The ending of this film sees Sam leaving for college while still making music with her dad, despite the literal previous scene between the two in which Sam seems almost swayed on staying. This switch of direction threw me for a bit of a loop and while I was never expecting for Sam to give up her dreams of becoming a doctor, I wish her motivations for the conclusion of this film would have been more concise and sensical. I also wanted more from this story's conflict. The only real, dramatic struggle happening in this film was whether or not Sam wanted to move away for college. The script would have been much more interesting if there were different aspects of her situation thrown at her instead of just meandering around for an hour and a half until she made her decision. While this movie teeters on the edge of family drama and slice-of-life, the characters just did not seem to change at all. Despite Sam's decision at the end, I did not feel any sort of revelation for these characters' stories. However, even though there may not have been a memorable or plot-altering conflict involved, it is nearly impossible not to fall in love with the cute and familial aesthetic of this entire film.
Hearts Beat Loud will not have a strong place in my memory anytime soon because of how forgettable it is. However, it really doesn't need to be as this film only presents itself as a relaxing breath of fresh air. I loved the story and dynamic that these two leads shared together and even without much interesting conflict, I enjoyed all 97 minutes of my time with them. And a karaoke scene with Toni Collette is just the cherry on top of this delightful, cinematic sundae.
My Rating: ★★★
No comments:
Post a Comment