Of Mind and Music

Based on a true story, Of Mind and Music follows neuroscientist Alvaro Cruz (Joaquim de Almeida) as he attempts to get over the recent death of his Alzheimer’s-afflicted mother by spending time in and around New Orleans’ jazz-infused environs. It’s there that he encounters an elderly street musician named Una Vida (Aunjanue Ellis) and her partner (Bill Cobbs’ Stompleg), with the movie subsequently detailing Alvaro’s attempts at helping Una Vida fight the dimentia that’s slowly-but-surely consuming her mind. It’s a solid premise that’s employed to less-than-engrossing effect by filmmaker Richie Adams, as the director’s decision to infuse the proceedings with as deliberate a pace as one could possibly envision ultimately proves disastrous – with the viewer’s ongoing efforts at embracing either the characters or the material consequently falling flat. And while the languid execution certainly mirrors the laid-back New Orleans atmosphere, Of Mind and Music‘s hands-off feel ensures that the emotional revelations contained within its final stretch aren’t able to pack the heartbreaking punch Adams’ has surely intended – which, despite a surfeit of stellar performances, confirms the movie’s place as a well-intentioned yet wholly ineffective true-life drama.

** out of ****