Review: Beats
From the very first scene of this film, the dreary tone is set. What begins as a drama is soon transformed into a fast-paced tragedy. A young girl is killed and the protagonist is born. The beginning of this film is a masterful play on emotions as it prepares the audience for the protagonist’s eventual journey as he steps out of his shell and rediscovers himself through music. Beats is the story of young teenager, August, reclusive yet extremely passionate about music. It follows him as he breaks out of his depressive state, caused by his sister’s untimely death, after forming an unlikely bond with a former music producer turned security guard, Romelo. The film an emotional, coming of age drama, that explores the African-American street life on the city.
The rhythm of the story is set through the beats of the music. As the film progresses, the beats created by August, serve as the backdrop for his repressive state, and his eventual coming out of it. The beats start off as an unorganized array of sounds, that develop pace and direction with Romelo’s guidance, when August eventually begins to reenter the real world. One advice given by Romelo that defines the beats of the narrative in relation to the beats of the music, is during one of his initial meetings with August. He has noticed the talent of this young boy but realizes that his work is rushed, hence advises August to take his time and slow the beats down. This dialogue serves as a metaphor for August’s life. Confined to a bedroom, August is thinking too much about each and every incident in his life. Thus, he needs to let go and live life freely, just as he needs to free the beats of his music, letting them flow.
Yet, it isn’t just August’s journey alone. Along with him, Romelo is also exploring hidden demons. The latter is struggling with a failed relationship and a failed career, which have led him to a monotonous life he detests. Thus, his friendship with August is not just driven by a need to improve this young boy’s life but also for his own selfish interests. Though some of his actions towards the end don’t fully justify his character, his self-centered need to enter back into the music business is clear from the start.
The entirely African-American cast is impressive. From well known American actor and comedian Anthony Anderson to newer faces such as Khalil Everage, the film comprises of a wide array of actors, that manage to develop a strong camaraderie with one another. The two leads played by Everage and Anderson are the strongest characters film, and their bond needs to seem realistic. Thus, the actors must interact in a way that doesn’t seem contrived. In some places it did feel as if they were speaking dialogues, not interacting. But, overall they managed to portray their friendship well. On top of that, Everage plays a character afflicted with PTSD. Mental illness is never easy to portray on screen and he plays this character with such ease, that it never goes over the top.
However, there are times when the film comes off as pretentious. It seems like it is attempting to cover the street life, but in an elitist manner, avoiding the rawness that films like Moonlight deliver. In some ways it reminds me of the good-looking commercial teen movies, but with African-American leads. It’s technically very strong thus not allowing the characters to look as if they are actually middle class street kids. But in a sense, this is a step ahead for African-American representation in popular Hollywood cinema. It’s important that they are getting out of that stereotype of rags to riches stories, that are often centered around the realism of the streets and are rising into a more generalized genre. While the characters in this film are poor, they still seem to be living better lives than most other African-Americans normally shown in Hollywood movies, thus giving the audience a perspective into a different side of African-American culture.