3.5 stars out of 5
Sure, I like popcorn, who doesn’t? But sometimes when I’m about to see a “serious” movie — you know, a heavy one — I wonder, “Is it appropriate for me to be munching popcorn right now?” The thought again crossed my mind as I waited for Blindspotting to begin. Hey, it’s not like I had much of a choice; I’d earned a free regular-size popcorn on my StarPass loyalty card (director level).
Turns out I didn’t have too much to worry about. Oh, from the trailer I’d seen, I was totally expecting an intense film experience. This idea was confirmed a couple of weeks ago when I showed up at a theater that, in addition to what I was seeing, was also holding a special screening of Blindspotting, with people lined up around the block. So this was going to be something important.
Now, it’s a good movie, and I do recommend it, but… much of the film is surprisingly light. You know how a lot of really dramatic movies start off kind of fun and smiley until something BIG happens that alters the protagonist’s life FOREVER? I kept waiting for that transition in Blindspotting, and it really doesn’t come until very deep into the running time. What you’ve basically got here is a buddy comedy ripped from today’s troubled headlines.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Co-stars Daveed Diggs (who I don’t know from Hamilton but I do know from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and newcomer Rafael Casal have an easy rapport. They also wrote this movie, and their banter is a real highlight. I was reminded of early Spike Lee offerings. And Oakland-native Diggs brings a strong sense of place to the project. The movie does touch upon zeitgeist issues such as #blacklivesmatter, gentrification, guns, and the penal system/rehabilitation, as well as loyalty, being prejudged by strangers and by friends, and whether it’s possible to reinvent oneself.
Back on the Oakland front: When I saw the trailer, I hoped that Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) had directed this. Instead, newcomer Carlos López Estrada does an acceptable job, yet I think a more experienced director could’ve massaged the script, filming around some of the too-obvious plot moments. For example, the big climax, while powerful, just didn’t ring true.
I do envision Diggs and Casal improving as storytellers and screenwriters, and I look forward to their future work — with or without popcorn.
Jack Silbert, curator