seemingly_reel

Although I came to this film with a bit of skepticism, it exceeded my expectations. This well-woven documentary has a lowish star rating on IMDb (less than 5.5), but I take this with a grain of salt because a limited number of people have rated it. This movie is beautifully filmed with a wonderfully subtle score. The story revolves around a talented, passionate Nigerian named Madu, who is 11 or 12 when the film starts. After a video of him dancing in the rain went viral, he was invited to attend a seven year program at Elmhurst, a well respected ballet school in Birmingham, England. As we watch his life unfold, there are ample poignant moments. Madu is close to his family, particularly his mom, who offers an abundance of emotional support. At the dance school, he learns how to cope with a few personal challenges, refine his skills, and create bonds with peers who can genuinely relate to him. I look forward to seeing Madu's ongoing success as he reaches new heights.

The stunning visuals for this series are exemplary. This is a mind-blowing, informative experience. As with most nature programs, this puts our humanity into perspective. The script takes a traditional approach: it's a blend of intriguing facts, anthropomorphism, and humorous quips to keep the viewers coming back.

Here's my main disappointment: the audio mix is frequently imbalanced. As others have mentioned, there are moments when the narration is gobbled up by the heavy-handed music. This is a common occurrence nowadays. They want the viewers to feel a certain way, so they attempt to sway us by either increasing the volume or using songs which trigger heightened emotions. It's an old trick that doesn't work for some of us.

Aside from the above, I still recommend this series. Here's a workaround which I prefer. I turn the volume off and tweak the Caption settings to my liking. When an animal sound comes on, I temporarily turn up the volume.