Project Power (2020) | Review
Acclaimed directing duo Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost of Catfish and Nerve are back with debut-feature screenwriter Mattson Tomlin’s Project Power, a 110-minute sci-fi action hybrid starring Jamie Foxx, Dominique Fishback and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Inspired by his love of comic-books, Tomlin’s objective was to explore a hybrid genre that offered a twist on the traditional superhero format. Art (Jamie Foxx) is on a mission to save his daughter from an organization responsible for creating a pill that gives humans animalistic characteristics. The organization has a pool of dealers who sell them on, including Robin (Dominique Fishback) who’s an aspiring rapper and responsible for taking care of her mother. The two cross paths and form a powerful bond that unfolds throughout the narrative that upholds a tension-filled but often heartfelt script and, although Fishback is relatively new on the scene, she holds her own against veteran Jamie Foxx.
Films of this genre often suffer from their ability to overlook nuanced characters and instead steer the audience’s attention towards a dazzling display of VFX. Project Power manages to find a balance that allows for character development amidst the sleek backdrop of New Orleans and finds unique ways to shoot action that doesn’t disorient or disengage the audience.
Michael Simmonds, who Schulman and Joost have worked with before on Nerve, maintains his familiar aesthetic using reds and blues to paint a dark landscape for the performances to live inside. Naomi Shohan’s production design hugely complements the enigmatic narrative, making it feel familiar for audiences who have enjoyed the duo’s previous movies. Although it takes place in New Orleans, fuelled with iconographies such as bustling busy streets and Saints fans, it feels entirely dystopian in the moonlight. The enigma doesn’t end with production design. Art, himself, becomes a mystery leaving Robin as the eyes of the audience while we try to unfurl what his mission truly means.
Somewhere in the second act, Art drops a quote that slightly lends itself to the mystery. Dominique shares a rap with him, despite her confliction with stage fright, and Art tells her “find what you do best, and do it better than everyone”. Floating just beneath the surface of the narrative is a comment on power and who it belongs to in a social-economic context. Robin and Art share something that allows them to connect, and it’s the commonality of feeling like the only way they can survive is through excellence which is often only reserved for those in positions of power. Sometimes these themes will be plastered in every frame, but, Schulman and Joost do a fantastic job of picking up on the subtle nuances in Tomlin’s script and placing them delicately amidst the film for the audience to interpret.
Project Power layers new and exciting elements to a well-worn genre with some intricately directed action scenes, heartfelt performances and an enigmatic script. Foxx and Fishback are a power duo who manage to add modulation and depth to their characters without the need for heavy exposition, leaving them to play freely with the trusted direction of Schulman and Joost.
Originally published at https://www.thebtake.com on August 28, 2020 by Billie Melissa.
