Movie review: 'Fast Color' a fresh take on superhero genre
“Fast Color” - ★ ★ ★
The origins of modern superheroes can be found in classical myth and legend. That's easy to forget now that every comic-book movie arrives with an endless, borderline-self-perpetuating chorus of excitement and hype.
“Fast Color,” the low-budget superhero film from director Julia Hart, strips away many of the genre's bells and whistles. By whittling its apocalyptic premise down to the scale of a modest drama, the film explores superheroes at their most mythical, finding genuine resonance along the way.
At first, the film unfolds like a thriller. Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Ruth, a young woman on the run. Her predicament is not explained, but her desperation is real: She is prone to violent seizures that shake the walls surrounding her (literally), and every friendly face may be a government scientist who wants to perform invasive tests.
She finally makes her way to an isolated home where her mother, Bo (Lorraine Toussaint), lives with Ruth's estranged daughter, Lila (Saniyya Sidney). Their reunion is tense — Ruth is a recovering drug addict — but still they are able to bond over the supernatural abilities they share.
Atmosphere is key to the film's success. Hart and her co-screenwriter Jordan Horowitz imagine a barren landscape where water is a scarce resource. They do not see a breakdown of society and instead prefer a more incremental approach: This is a future where everything is simply worse than what we're used to now. This austere landscape is also a shrewd way to explain the economical production values. “Fast Color” has few characters, location changes or special effects, but its limited resources are still convincing.
Race and gender are important undercurrents to the film. Ruth and Bo, both black women, want to teach Lila what it takes to live in a country that's indifferent or even hostile to that identity. All of Ruth's pursuers are white men, and they do not understand her potential, background or spirituality. Their attempt to “tame” Ruth is where the film finds an allegorical dimension.
“Fast Color” is ultimately about black women whose power is misunderstood and how they sacrifice their individuality for the greater good. Its final minutes conflate that sacrifice with a superhero movie's climax, creating fantastical imagery that is actually meaningful.
Although the ending is sublime, “Fast Color” can drag a little. The lengthy middle section nearly falls into the trappings of a typical indie drama. You may have seen the dynamic before: There is the proud, vulnerable protagonist who tries to reconcile with her skeptical child, while an older figure observes them with reluctance. Superpowers add some intrigue — Bo and Lila can deconstruct and reassemble objects with their mind — but this section is talky to a fault. A gnawing sense of impatience is only barely overcome by the strong performances of Mbatha-Raw and Toussaint, both terrific actors.
Pacing notwithstanding, “Fast Color” succeeds on the strength of its ideas. Superhero movies do not need huge budgets or A-list actors to connect with audiences. They need plausible characters, made so by their reactions to extraordinary situations. This film can be frustrating — but then, we have been desensitized by talking raccoons and superhuman strength.
Ruth, Bo and the others in “Fast Color” do not know they are in a genre riddled with cliches, however. So when something miraculous happens to them, they are awed and humbled by it. By finding the right note of empathy, Hart creates a space for the audience to share their doggedly earned hope.
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Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lorraine Toussaint, Saniyya Sidney
Directed by: Julia Hart
Other: A Codeblack Films release. Rated PG-13 for violence and language. 100 minutes