While Endgame runs roughshod over the box office for the foreseeable future, there are some films that will understandably fly under the radar. Additionally, a low-budget indie superhero flick will have a decidedly tougher time getting its hands on any percentage of the market share. Nonetheless, Fast Color is a beautiful and creative movie that’s kind of about superheroes but really about family.
Set in the not too distant future, when climate change has ravaged the planet and water is becoming increasingly scarce, a young woman with special abilities is forced to return home and seek the help of her estranged mother as the government attempts to track her down. In the process, she is forced to get herself under control, mend bridges with her family, and make a decision whether or not to stand against those pursuing her.
Julia Hart directed and co-wrote this wonderfully imaginative and heartfelt story of female power and family with her husband Jordan Horwitz. Taking on this story with a very small budget required quite a lot of finesse. Hart wisely chose to focus the narrative through the three women at the center of the story and allowed the movie to be about them more than their abilities. The script is relatable and rooted in a family drama that carries a fairly broad appeal. As a result, it’s pretty easy to cheer for these characters and get invested in their journey. This wasn’t a Disney princess movie either, the characters’ journeys are painful and steeped in lessons of personal failure. Stripping things down to the raw underbelly allowed for a much more realistic approach to an otherwise fantastical story, especially when it came to character growth. The bond shared between these ladies is forged through trauma, forgiveness, and understanding. As a sophomore project, this was a very well done effort and the filmmaking duo has at least two other projects coming down the pipe in the near future.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars in the lead role as Ruth, a young woman both gifted and tortured by her abilities. This was a passionate and volatile role at times for Mbatha-Raw who was forced to embody a wide range of emotional distress throughout the hour and 40-minute runtime. She’s flanked by Lorraine Toussaint, playing Ruth’s mother (Bo), and Saniyya Sidney, playing her daughter (Lila). Toussaint was especially strong, serving not only as the family matriarch and historian but also as the bridge between Ruth and Lila. She and Mbatha-Raw had strong working chemistry that was essential to solidifying the bond with the audience. Sidney had to juggle a lot too as she came face-to-face with her mother for the first time and grappled with the realization of alike they were. Their mother-daughter story is one of both redemption and acceptance, which mirrors the one between Ruth and Bo, but the latter functions as the more dominant of the two narratives. These roles have a particular significance, not just because they are gifted women but because they resonate as real women…African American women too. There’s no mistaking that both race and gender play large roles in this portrait but Gandhi said, “be the change you wish to see in the world.” This is a step in that direction.
The extremely limited budget is readily apparent throughout the film. However, there was still some very strong technical filmmaking at play. The digital effects team did a great job. Not only did they interpret these ladies’ abilities in a visually exciting manner but they didn’t drown the audience in it either. With projects like this, less is often more when it comes to visual effects shots. Similarly, Michael Fimognari’s cinematography captured such a wide range of color and depth from fairly limited shooting locations. It’s tough to tell if the film was artificially colored in post-production but his shot selection and low-light scene choices helped to inject life into a dry and dusty backdrop. Tying it all together and shaping both the characters and the world they inhabit, Rob Simonsen’s original music was refreshing while still drawing clear inspiration from the past. I couldn’t help think of the original Blade Runner while listening to the tracks and, although the music may really be very different, it carried powerful notes of futurism and dread. A frantic and collapsing hope. This was a film score that most people likely won’t pay attention to but it was one of the better efforts this year and much more creative than most of what you’ll hear the rest of the way.
Movies like this tend to struggle in theatrical release but gain momentum as they become more accessible through streaming and on-demand platforms. It’s just the name of the game when it comes to low-budget, limited-release movies. However, with the support of social media platforms, stuff like this has a chance to gain support more quickly. Fast Color may come in a small package but it offers quite a lot.
Recommendation: If you still can’t get tickets to Avengers: Endgame or you’re just in the mood for something different, this could be your movie. There is a lot in the way of positive examples and they are forged through tangible struggle. The theater release was expanded but it still may take some work to find it at a theater near you.