All Together Now | Film Review

This has been on my to-watch list for a really long time. The premise immediately attracted me to the story, and I'm really glad that I finally got the chance to see it.

Amber (Auli'i Cravalho) is preparing to go to college while keeping a huge secret - she is homeless and lives on the school bus that her mother drives. But as Amber's life spirals out of control, will she be able to keep her secret?

I loved this film. I had no idea it would be as powerful as it was.

The characters that make up this film are all great. Not only do they all feel really important to the progression of Amber's story, but they're all great characters in their own right. And while this is true of Amber's friends, this is particularly true for her mother.

Amber's mother, Becky, is played by Justina Machado, and there is such good chemistry between the two actors. Their relationship, particularly early on in the film, is the heart of the movie, and I loved watching them. My favourite thing about the character was the complexity of her. Becky is the most complicated character in this film - while we may disagree with her, we have to put ourselves in her shoes to truly understand her.

The film takes a really interesting approach to complex issues, particularly the issue of homelessness. The way that Amber and her mother hide their issues really drives home the fact that you really never know what someone is going through. We are also shown, through this, that the issue of homelessness comes in many forms.

There is a big focus on music in the film, a lot of which comes from Amber. This adds a new element to the film, and brings a lot of different emotions out of the audience.

The writing and direction of the film is amazing - nothing feels unreal or inauthentic. However, for me, the best thing about the film was the performance that Auli'i Cravalho gave. She has to be so many different things to portray this complicated character, and she does it so well. But all of the actors (the film also stars: Rhenzy Feliz, Judy Reyes, Fred Armisen and Carol Burnett) do an incredible job with their respective characters.

Overall, this is an effortlessly touching, heart-breakingly inspiring movie. It is powerful and emotional in equal measure, and I would encourage everyone to watch it.

7.5/10