Donald Glover dropped a 55 minute short film this weekend – it streamed on Amazon Prime, and at Coachella. Music, TV, movies: there seems to be nothing he can’t do, and do extremely well, at that. His multi-facetedness might be annoying if he wasn’t so actually talented.
The film, Guava Island, is hard to describe. It’s really more a parable than a traditional narrative, so don’t get hung up on that. And all praise to Childish Gambino: do not be surprised when a LOT of his music inevitably pops up.
He plays Deni, just a dude on this fictional island who is about to bring his music to an all-night music festival that’s super frowned upon by the island’s big boss, Red Cargo. Red can’t tolerate a music festival that might mean the island’s factory workers call in sick for the work the next day, a Sunday, including Deni’s girlfriend Kofi (Rihanna) and friend Yara (Letitia Wright).
It’s the perfect setting to talk about corruption, and the influence of art, its ability to unite a people. But it’s not the perfect medium. It’s not that the film is too short, it’s that the idea is both half-baked and heavy-handed. It made me wish it was less of a movie and more of a visual album, like Beyonce’s Lemonade, because that’s when the movie truly came live for me, when Glover lets his music take over and the reasons we love him and frequent collaborator/director Hiro Murai are allowed to shine down upon the island.
Rihanna and Wright are criminally underused; their main purpose is to smile admiringly at Glover. Rightly so, perhaps, but to have both of these women on hand and not give them something to do seems wasteful, and a tease. Maybe this concept works better for a Coachella audience. Few are likely to have stood in place to watch the film straight through, but maybe just standing under its shadow is enough.
ASSHOLES WATCHING MOVIES 
Sounds quite mixed but perhaps worth a look?
LikeLike
For me, definitely, I love Glover so much.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
LikeLike
I’m glad you were, that’s the best kind of surprise!
LikeLike
I want to enjoy it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the review – it could be anything? Atlanta seasons 1 and 2 are amazing TV so will definitely try and catch this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Atlanta, for me, was totally unexpected. So interesting. This director does a lot of those episodes, so you’ll feel right at home.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh, yeah, it might work better at a Coachella than if one is sitting and watching…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, like less linear and narrative-driven. I suspect lots of things work better at Coachella, and lots should maybe just stay there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really like Donald Glover–I always get such a kick out of seeing him on Community (which I loved) and seeing him now. He’s so talented:-)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I liked him there too (Troy and Abed!) but everything he’s done since then has been so much less mainstream and so much more interesting. Well, that said, he did do Star Wars. He was the best part of it, probably.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I really like Glover in “Community’ and if I stumble across this,I might take a peek.
LikeLiked by 2 people