A Cut Above, directed by Rodrigo Franca is a tale about a son hellbent on helping his mother save their salon, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. The story revolves around how the protagonist discovers himself as a hairstylist, even though his biggest cheerleader, his mother, doesn’t believe it’s the right path for him. The movie stars Lucas Koka Penteado, Juliana Alves, Neruda Borges, Solange Couto, Nano Cunha among others and lasts for 90 minutes.
Netflix describes the movie as:
A CHARMING AND WITTY PLOT AND PROTAGONIST HELPS HIS MOTHER SAVE HER SALON, WHILE REALISING HIS LIFE GOALS.
– A Cut Above Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
The movie begins with a vivid pan of the life of the uptown era, based in Penha, Rio De Janeiro, anchored with funkier background music that just won’t let you stay still. A small world of samba circles, charming parties, streets turning into your porch, where everybody knows everybody. The people of the town are introduced to the audience as if they’re contenders on Mortal Kombat from the 90s. The fourth wall gets broken 30 seconds into the movie, establishing a more affectionate way of storytelling, unlike, for instance, American Psycho.
The characters, even though clichéd, both in appearances and personality traits, have a charming flair that overpowers everything. The protagonist, Richardsson, is someone you would want to end up on a porch with when you’re 80 as your best friend. His easy-flowing personality with a heavy dose of introspection, which he provides both to himself and the audience, is rarely depicted so flawlessly in movies. The mother, Cristina, burdened with the loss of her husband and the failure of her salon, Saigon, forces her son to be something he’s not, a pushover.
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The film, although a comedy, doesn’t shy away from dropping truth bombs every few minutes. “A tree which bends itself is not broken by the wind”, is sure to send you into deep thought. What stood out for me was that the movie never swayed away from its joyful theme, even while navigating something serious. Most flashbacks you see in movies are either faded black or a rusty brown, whereas for A Cut Above, the memories are shown in peppy hues of blue and orange, exhibiting that even pain, once dealt with, can be good.
The film has exceptionally used the tropes of the French New Wave. In one instance, Richardsson addresses his father’s ghost as a clichéd plot device, which will definitely get a laugh out of you. Not just that, the usage of sound effects, giving every character a waggish sound intro, is a rarity you only find in retro TV shows. It surely added a comical touch to the movie in general.
A Cut Above, very playfully, provides a lot of contemplation to the audience by bringing up pressing issues. “Everyone means well, but no one is interested in knowing what I want,” sums up an entire generation’s complaint against society and, specifically, their families. Through the character of Julinho, the writers showcased white people unapologetically taking advantage of the black communities’ culture and traditions.
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Watch the movie to see old lovers finding their way back to each other, how open relationships go about, a pastor’s epiphany, or how a chicken just might help you realise your life goals. However light-hearted, it sure had a lot of political commentaries and truth bombs to drop, but all to its advantage. A Cut Above ends with a phrase that encapsulates the film as well as the gospel truth of society, “We often conquer that of which we have never dreamt, but it is what our forefathers wished for all along.”
A Cut Above is streaming now on Netflix.