by Lisa Nystrom
Worth: $12.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Bolude Watson, Michela Carattini, David Collins, Wale Ojo
Intro:
Wild and wacky, with an endearing charm …
A surprise engagement, a whirlwind wedding, and a friendship that crosses cultures and continents, female-driven buddy comedy Carmen and Bolude is a celebration of those relationships in your life that run so deep that they redefine the word “home”.
Creators and stars Michela Carattini and Bolude Watson wrote the script based on their own real-life experiences as women from culturally diverse backgrounds navigating the modern world. The film follows Bolude (Bolude Watson) as she travels from New York to Sydney after her boyfriend’s surprise proposal leaves her with only 10 days to prepare for a wedding that she somehow needs to convince her belligerent Nigerian father (Wale Ojo) to attend. Joined by her childhood best friend Carmen (Michela Carattini), the women find themselves caught up in a series of hijinks that end with a mission to collect “100 Welcomes” from the Australian locals to prove to Bolude’s father that she has a true home at her soon-to-be-husband’s side.
Wild and wacky, with an endearing charm, the wedding narrative serves as the comical exterior for the beating heart of the film: a patchwork of stories, diverse and personal, moments of connection shared by an array of different Australians as they welcome Bolude to her new home. An Indigenous woman speaking about the struggles faced by the Stolen Generation and what it meant for them to find their place again, a Yoruba woman imparting the importance of honouring the culture you were born into, an Italian family with roots settled as deeply in the Sydney soil as they once were in Italy. Every one an Australian and every one with a story to tell.
While the comedy relies heavily on stereotypes and the occasional uncomfortably bigoted punchline, this is a film of good intentions. For every cringeworthy moment (David Collins as Bolude’s soon to be father-in-law greeting her for the first time with an impromptu rendition of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”), the film cleanses the palate with a moment of good-natured humour (Carmen finding herself in a battle of snark with the groom’s brother, Ant (Elliott Giarola).
While the story may not be groundbreaking, there are smiles to be had, and a standout soundtrack featuring Wiradjuri Gadigal singer/songwriter Akala Newman, actress and musician Olivia Vásquez, and original music composed by Dominic Cabusi and Bronte Maree O’Neill.
