Starring: Donald Glover, Rihanna, Nonso Anozie, Letitia Wright
Review: Young musician, Deni Maroon (Donald Glover) seeks to hold a music festival to liberate the oppressed people of Guava Island, even if only for a day. In his pursuit of a night of fun, Deni clashes with the island's business magnate Red Cargo (Nonso Anozie), that puts he and his girlfriend, Kofi (Rihanna), in the cross hairs of Red's shady business interests.
Guava Island is straight and to the point. Deni, Kofi, and the rest of the inhabitants of Guava Island live in a paradise. Despite that, the entire island is so consumed with working and appeasing Red that they have very little time to enjoy their paradise. This film is quick and fast-paced as Donald Glover's character aims to spread some joy throughout the island with a plethora of musical numbers that evoke the easy, laid back island lifestyle. If you're a fan of Glover, you will assuredly get enjoyment out of this film as it's packed with classics as well as music originated for the film. While the movie is original and aesthetically soothing, I feel like this movie could have benefited from a longer runtime to really develop Rihanna and Nonso Anozie's characters. In particular, I think Rihanna did a fantastic job while she was on-screen, specifically with the way she used facial expressions and body language to convey emotion. I also thought the film vastly underutilized her musical talent, as none of the music featured her in that role. The film ends with a twist, which for me became somewhat predictable as the movie went on. However, I applaud this movie for it's sentiment, and I thought the story was captivating yet simple enough where I was engaged throughout. Despite some shortcomings, I absolutely enjoyed this movie for it's artistic value. It made me want to grab a Corona or a margarita and find a beach, sit back and relax, and listen to some island tunes. I highly recommend this film for all fans of Donald Glover, both musically and cinematically.
P.S. Since there is no real trailer for this film, get into summer mode and enjoy a music video/clip taken straight from the film as Donald Glover performs "Summertime Magic" for his on-screen girlfriend, Rihanna.
Fun Fact: Styling for the film was inspired by the African diaspora, according to executive-producer Ibra Ake, who said the intention was to create a fictional island that blended a wide variety of cultures that comprise the diaspora. For example, people on the island slip into Spanish, and Rihanna can be seen wearing both a Nigerian gele and a locally-sourced dress from Cuba at different points in the film. Donald Glover, meanwhile, goes in and out of a nondescript Caribbean accent.