Blindspotting (Review)
Blindspotting is Social Commentary at its Best!
I have to say of all the movies I’ve seen this year, the one I was least prepared for was Blindspotting. It’s a phenomenal film that does everything right. Even after a good night’s rest, I can’t stop thinking about just how charming, funny, and, most importantly, smart every aspect of it was. Right now Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal are my first picks to be nominated for best original screenplay and I’m tempted to say Blindspotting will go far once award season rolls around. As much as I loved Sorry to Bother You and how “woke” it was, Blindspotting is offering it a run for its money. Either way though, this is an early favorite film of mine in the second half of 2018.
The film tells the story of two best friends, Collin and Miles (played by Diggs and Casal, who are real-life friends), who are struggling with the gentrification of Oakland. The two friends grew up in what is easily one of the most dangerous cities in the country and now watch as hipsters move in from out of town and take over everything. This is hardly the only struggle the characters deal with and the core story is about how the deal with how society sees them. Collin is an ex-felon on parole who is judged for the color of his skin and his looks. No matter how hard he tries to clean up his act and do the right thing, he’s just seen as a “thug.” Miles, on the other hand, grew up in Oakland but is seen as a poser. A white boy trying to fit in and this has led to him overcompensating with, well, stupid bravado. The two are at opposite ends of the seesaw when it comes to societal perceptions of them, which is probably why they balance each other out so well. This is only emphasized by the underlying exploration of how race in America is like Rubin’s Vase (I prefer the geeky version). There’s always that knee-jerk first image that is seen when it comes to it, but if you look closer or let someone point out the other side then it becomes all too clear. You just have to stop and actually look.
While a lot of movies might focus on an external conflict for the heroes to overcome, Blindspotting takes a hard look at the internal. Both of the characters have their own demons to face both inside and out. The thing is that their own struggles are in conflict with the other’s. Collin is trying to keep his head low and shrug off the old him who ended up in jail for a stupid mistake. Miles though continues to do stupid things in order to prove himself to a neighborhood that sees him as just another poser. A hipster in a Raiders jersey. Unfortunately, this sets them both on a road to an inevitable confrontation. Watching this unfold though is all the harder given the amazing chemistry the two leads have trading lines back and forth in perfect rhythm. Meanwhile, all around them, the consequences of racial prejudice rocks the community as the underlying plot of a wrongful shooting witnessed by Collin gives him nightmares and anxiety whenever he sees a cop car.
More than anything though, Blindspotting isn’t a movie that’s flat out about racism. There’s plenty of that in there, but it’s a film about self-identity and how the world constantly forces you to change the way you are. Collin grew up in a neighborhood where fighting and killing was all too common. However, with the hipsters slowly taking over Oakland, he can’t be who he once was. This isn’t a bad thing though. In Collin’s case, it means that he is becoming more aware of his surroundings and the consequences of his actions. He doesn’t just jump into a fight feet first anymore, he stops to think about what might happen next. The best part is that this is something we get to see Diggs slowly explore with his character. While probation might play a big part in him keeping his head low, there’s also the fact that cops are shooting men like him in the streets for no reason at all. For him, he has to deal with a changing world and while it’s bad in so many ways, there is some good that comes with it. For one, he starts drinking that disgusting green juice, but that’s just in an attempt to win back his ex.
Daveed Diggs might be best known at this point for his performance in Hamilton. He’s an incredible musician and rapper, skills that are seen repeatedly through Blindspotting. Miles and Collin spend much of their time trying to come up with freestyle raps while making their way through the day, but it plays a much greater role in the narrative structure of the film. For Diggs, rap is a form of “heightened language.” A state where all your neurons are firing and the words flow effortlessly from your true self. Of course, Diggs isn’t the only one displays a propensity for this. Casel also joins in, but his purpose is more about being a silver-tongued devil and his scenes are vaguely reminiscent of Robert Preston from The Music Man. He’s a confidence man. A character that can put the right twist on anything and walk away Scott-free. This though only goes to show the bias society has. Collin is constantly at risk of getting arrested or shot for no reason, while Collin could get away with murder. However, Collin doesn’t want to get away with murder. He just wants to be accepted as a part of this community and that his personality isn’t an act, but nurture in its purest form.
To put it simply, Blindspotting is a brilliant film one that I strongly encourage everyone to go and see. Looking back on it, there’s very little I can actually find wrong with it. There’s so much going on on so many different levels that it will keep the wheels turning long after the credits roll. Personally, I loved the charisma between Casal and Diggs, and think they deserve their own series based on the characters. At the very least, I can’t wait to see what they two have in store for audiences next. They hit a home run with this script, but as good as it is they lucked out with director Carlos López Estrada who’s vision synced with their’s perfectly. Blindspotting is a total success as a film and goes to show that social commentary can be powerful when done correctly. That’s why I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to everyone looking for a film with a bit of bite.
