One of the reasons I love noir is that stories about people thrust into disagreeable circumstances and how they deal with them are so appealing to me, and this is one of the most triumphant takes on that format I've seen. Not to mention it's fucking funny. There is a degree of Famuyiwa having his cake and eating it too, keeping one foot in social realism while including so many farfetched details in the plot, but the latter contribute to the feeling the film has of a fable without a clearly defined moral. Definitely one of the better films of recent years and my favorite of 2015 behind Inside Out, another story about growing up.
Gorgeous, evocative music. My Dad's right, the mix kind of sucks, but if I let myself get lost in the lyrics and instruments it's a powerfully nostalgic experience. There aren't any weak tracks but The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Whispering Pines, and Jawbone are especially moving.
The opener Ole Man Trouble is one of the best songs I've heard, which is maybe why the rest of the album had trouble quite living up to my expectations. Not that there aren't a lot of great songs and even a lot of great moments on the less impressive ones. Maybe if it'd all been original compositions it would've clicked more with me.
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