The Book, The Film, The T-Shirt
  • Home
  • News
  • Features
  • Movies
  • Books
  • TV
  • Gaming
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
Movies 0

Music Review

By Dave Griffiths @goodbaduglyshow · On January 24, 2021

The Gist

An alcoholic drug dealer suddenly finds herself having to look after her autistic sister.

The Review

Yes the movie that cancel culture didn’t want you to see is finally in cinemas. Now that I have had the chance to sit down and watch the film I can honestly tell you that once again the cancel culture brigade were way off the mark and well and truly barking up the wrong tree when it came to their criticism of Music.

Of course though, should we be surprised? Two very obvious things stood out from the criticism of this film as it surfaced around the internet. Firstly the people criticising the film had never ever seen it and secondly from a lot of their comments you could tell that many had very little knowledge about autism as a condition and even less about filmmaking.

I don’t write this review as ‘just another film critic’ like I am sure people will want to point out in the comments section. I write this as somebody who has not only been in the director’s and screenwriter’s chair but also as someone who has grown up with a cousin with autism and has volunteered to work with a number of people with a range of disabilities over the years.

And that is how I knew the arguments of the cancel culture about this film were ill-informed and just completely cruel. See, I’ve been there when my family has struggled to get my cousin to sit under an umbrella because it has terrified him or watched family members literally have to fight with him to get him into a car and the thing is my cousin is slightly autistic, yet the cancel culture would have you believe that the filmmakers behind this film could easily have found someone on the extreme spectrum of autism who could have not only acted throughout this film but also done some high level dance sequences… yep good luck with that.

What that certain brigade missed though was the opportunities of this film. It is films like this that give people a better understanding of what not only autism is like but what life is like for those that have to care for the person with autism. I will openly admit that when I was young I was pretty much afraid of my cousin, it took me sitting down when I was a little older and watching Rain Man to see what life was like for him and that point I not only understood him but became his friend. But of course according to the people arguing about Music Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal in Rain Man is now considered ‘offensive.’

What the people criticising Music don’t realise is that this film will have the same effect on some people as Rain Man did on me. Suddenly those cool school girls that listen to Sia’s (who directed and wrote the film) music might finally see that that girl they exclude from everything because she is ‘different’ isn’t as different as they thought and those pop-culture boys who currently throw food at the ‘weirdo’ at the bus are now going to see that person as a person.

Now I am not going to sit here and say that Music is a masterpiece. The film has its weaknesses but there is also a power and a heart to this film that you just don’t get with a lot of the blockbuster in our cinemas these days. In fact this is the film that is more at home in an arthouse cinema that is in a multiplex.

Kate Hudson (Almost Famous) plays Zu, a young woman whose partying lifestyle and alcohol problem has stopped her from ever being a sister to her autistic half-sister Music (Maddie Ziegler – The Book Of Henry). However with the sudden death of her grandmother suddenly Zu finds herself having to look after Music.

Her only support comes from a kind-hearted landlord George (Hector Elizondo – Pretty Woman) who has distrusted Zu after she stole from him and caring neighbour Ebo (Leslie Odom Jnr. – Red Tails).

They are both surprised to learn though that Zu’s plan does not involve her caring for Music for long. Her plan is to make enough money from drug dealing to place Music in a home and then move to ‘paradise’ herself.

When you watch Music you realise that the plot is pretty basic but having said that though it does hold up and does provide some suspenseful and dramatic moments throughout. The idea of going into dance sequences to show how Music views the world shows that Sia’s creativity from her musical career certainly carries over into her filmmaking as well. They also give Sia the opportunity to create a very creative soundtrack and while the music works throughout the film it perhaps would have been nice to have had a couple of recognisable tracks appear here and there as well.

Where the true power comes from this film though is through the acting. Kate Hudson is at her award-winning best playing the damaged Zu. Despite her bad life choices and at times cruel decisions the portrayal of the character by Hudson makes her likable.

If this was supposed to be the fluff piece that some have cruelly labelled it then someone forgot to tell Hudson because she shows up with her A-Game. She is well matched by Ziegler who should not be criticised for her portrayal of Music – instead she should be praised and being mentioned when it comes to Awards season. Her performance here is very much a break-out performance and I am extremely curious to see where her career goes from here. Hector Eliondo and Leslie Odom Jnr. also bring a warmth to this film, the latter like Ziegler showing that he is capable of just about any role thrown at him in his career.

The Verdict

The key to getting the best experience out of Music is to go into the film and ignore all the negativity surrounding it. The points aimed at this film go right out the window once you have watched it and instead of being labelled as ‘one to avoid’ this is a film that needs to be praised for its unique filmmaking style and the powerful performances by its leading ladies.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Related

Music Review
Dave Griffiths
January 24, 2021
3.5/10
3.5 Overall Score

Hector EliondoKate HudsonLeslie Odom Jnr.Maddie ZieglerSia
Share Tweet

Dave Griffiths

Dave Griffiths has worked as a journalist for over twenty years now -covering topics including film, television, music, travel and sport (with a main focus on AFL Football). That time has seen him host the popular X-Wired television program for seven seasons as well as write for various magazines such as Buzz Magazine, Heavy Mag, Stage Whispers, The Banner and Eternity.. He has even branched out into writing online for Subculture Entertainment, Media Search and The Book The Film The T-Shirt. He also worked as the online editor for Entertainment 360 for three years. Dave's radio work has seen him work on various radio stations including 3RPP, Triple R and Light FM. He is currently the resident film reviewer on Sydney's 2UE radio station and can be heard reviewing what is new at cinemas and on DVD each week on Wednesdays at 3pm with Ed Phillips. He is also the co-host of Melbourne's 94.1FM's breakfast show 'The Motley Crew' and he can sometimes be heard on J-Air's 'First On Film'. David is also the co-host of two popular podcasts - ‘The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Film Show,' and 'The Popcorn Conspiracy' As far as Film Reviewing goes David is an elected committee member of AFCA (Australian Film Critics Association and a member of IPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics)/FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique). He has also served as a jury member for a number of international film festivals and is considered an expert on cult cinema, horror movies and Australian films.

You Might Also Like

  • DVD

    FLIGHT RISK Review

  • DVD

    DEN OF THIEVES: PANTERA Review

  • DVD

    DARK NUNS Review

No Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe & Follow

Follow @thebookthefilm
Follow on Instagram
  • Popular
  • Comments
  • Tags
  • The Rise of Lockdown Streaming

    May 3, 2020
  • Salvo (2014)

    September 27, 2014
  • Penny Dreadful S1 EP 3 ‘Resurrection’ & EP 4 ‘Demimonde’ Review

    June 22, 2014
  • Pet Movie

    Spoiler Alert – Top 5 Horror Movie Twists

    March 17, 2017
  • warner bros. for her dvd collection

    Christmas Gift Guide: For Her – Heart Warming DVDs

    December 14, 2016
  • Win a copy of The Apartment on Limited Edition Blu-ray Courtesy of Arrow Academy

    December 23, 2017
David Griffiths marvel Ben Affleck Kyle McGrath J.K. Simmons Amy Adams Jai Courtney Lee Griffiths Hugh Jackman Chris pratt Scarlett Johansson Jason Clarke Daniel Craig Emilia Clarke Henry Cavill keanu reeves benedict cumberbatch Sky Atlantic
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure

ABOUT

Over opinionated and online. The Book, The Film, The T-Shirt was created for lovers of entertainment everywhere. We hope you enjoy it. Don't feed the writers after midnight.

Latest News

  • 3

    FLIGHT RISK Review

    June 22, 2025
  • 3.5

    DEN OF THIEVES: PANTERA Review

    June 22, 2025
  • 3.5

    DARK NUNS Review

    June 21, 2025

SEARCH THE SITE

HIBS100 Index of Home and Interior Blogs
HIBS100

© 2016 Last Exit to Hollywood Media Limited. All rightsreserved. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”