‘Musica’ Rudy Mancuso’s new movie and how he went from making vines to directing and starring in his movie. In this movie, Mancuso manages to combine all his interests and passions into his movie including the puppets (which, with his cartoonish coif, he resembles). In the movie, Mancuso plays a college student who is plagued by a synesthesia—which Mancuso himself possesses—that causes him to hear rhythms in everyday sounds trying to balance his complicated life and relationships. The movie is set in Newark where there is always life, noise, and inspiration banging away in the background. Mancuso’s character ‘Rudy’ can’t control these noises and distractions leading to him struggling to divide his attention between the three closest women in his life, these women being his girlfriend, Haley (Francesca Reale), with whom he breaks up; his mother Maria (Maria Mancuso), and a new woman he is getting to know, Isabella (Camila Mendes). In the film Rudy is split between the two love interests also creates a potential divide throughout his entire life: Isabella is supportive of his desire to make his puppet show (which he is currently performing in the subway) work as a financially viable option, while Haley wants him to cut his losses and use his almost-finished degree to get a regular, stable job. Even more seriously, Haley wants to move to New York City, while Isabella is determined to stay in the Ironbound. Mancuso describes his film as an “anti-musical musical” Although it sounds pretentious that label is very accurate, this being because in the film no one is seen breaking out into a song and dance, rather the music exists throughout the journey, with everyday slogs and activities, like bus commutes and meals at a local diner, all turning into Stomp-esque scenes mimicking what Mancuso hears in his head.
