Review 645: CODA

 

Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing member of a deaf family from Gloucester, Massachusetts. At 17, she works mornings before school to help her parents, Frank (Troy Kotsur) and Jackie (Marlee Matlin) and brother, Leo (Daniel Durant) keep their fishing business afloat. But in joining her high school's choir club, Ruby finds herself drawn to both her duet partner and her latent passion for singing.

The plot is a simple but effective coming of age story, one that 

When the hearing world becomes cruel and belittling, she steps in, almost in a paternal way, always prioritising them over herself. But when Ruby joins the school choir and discovers her natural talent for singing, her world is turned upside down and puts her needs and wants in conflict with themselves.

Director Sian Heder's direction is sensitive and  

Emilia Jones in a breakthrough performance shines as Ruby Rossi, trying to navigate the intricacies os her identity, passions and responsibilities to her family. Ruby is a hardworking high-schooler in the costal Cape Ann's Gloucester who routinely wakes up at the crack of dawn every day to help with the family fishing business.

Casting the Rossi family with real life deaf actors is an inpired choice that lends the film a great sense of realism. A charming group consisting of Oscar winner Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur and Daniel Durant all of whom are able to convey a lot whilst very little.

Eugenio Derbez, in a show stealing performance,  playing Mr. Bernardo Villalobos, Ruby's passionate music teacher

4.5/5.

The Anonymous Critic.