Feel-good movies get a bad rap. They might not be the most edifying movies in the world, but the world is pretty feel-bad right now, and a little feel-good on the screen can work wonders. The High Note has you covered on that front: it’s a musical, a comedy, and a glitzy Hollywood tale, designed from the bottom up to stimulate dopamine production. But is it a good feel-good movie? After all, few things are more disappointing than expecting good feelings and getting bored instead. If you’re going to spend your money and time on it, The High Note should reach the heights of good feel-good, not end on a sour… taste.
The star of the story is Maggie Sherwood (Dakota Johnson), a music buff and aspiring producer who takes to L.A. like an introvert to quarantine. But she’s just a personal assistant to the real star: R&B legend Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross). Maggie is marginally happy fetching drinks for a world-famous superstar, but she begins to question her commitments when she meets David Cliff (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), an amateur musician who could benefit from her producer’s touch (and physical touch). Is busywork for a big name the best use of her time?
Perhaps Maggie should’ve worked for The High Note’s screenwriter Flora Greeson, who doesn’t waste any of her protagonists’ time. Her plot beats are familiar riffs on chasing your dreams (hint: if you’re rich, go for it), but her attention to character conflict serves as compensation. If character types are colors on a canvas, then Greeson is painting in multiple shades here, and the resulting color clashes are charming to watch unfold. Grace is a source of conflict for Maggie because she’s holding Maggie back from her true potential; Maggie is a source of conflict for Grace because she reminds Grace of a long-gone youthful drive. Maggie and David can’t interact without flaring up at least one of their imposter syndromes. Having dynamic character relationships may seem like a low bar to meet, but after months of eating army rations (i.e., the movies that studios spit out during pandemic lockdown), The High Note’s zest is refreshing indeed. It’s not high art, but it’s noteworthy.
It skimps on stakes, though. With the possible exception of upper-middle-class Maggie, the protagonists live in a world where failure is a viable option. If Grace can’t make a career comeback, she still has a Las Vegas residency and millions of dollars waiting for her. If David can’t make it as a musician, he can still pursue the craft while living in his lavish mansion and apparently not having to work for a living. Even Maggie’s worst-case scenario looks more like paradise than hitting bottom. The rich people problems of The High Note are more diversionary than involving.
In spite of that, the charisma of the central trio keeps the personal stakes alive. Dakota Johnson excels at playing a plucky Los Angeles girl with a passion for art. Act what you know, as they say. She also nails the improvisational tone of conversation, speaking her thoughts before she’s even found the right words—you know, like humans do. Tracee Ellis Ross is a legend in her own right and her confidence translates to the role. Kelvin Harrison Jr. still needs an introduction, somehow: after proving last year that he could anchor weighty, complex movies (Luce) and emotional rollercoasters (Waves), he became one of the indie scene’s most impressive breakout stars. Now, with The High Note, we find out that he can sing like an angel too? It’s insane that a major Hollywood project hasn’t snatched him up! (Leave him alone, Disney.)
Add zippy, lively editing and competent direction to the recipe, and you’ve got yourself a good feel-good movie. Little of it feels like it matters—especially when a third act reveal ties everything up too nicely, confirming that no one was in any danger of lasting consequences—but if you’re paralyzed by how much everything matters lately, The High Note offers a worthwhile break. And the soundtrack is euphoric!
★★★½ (3.5/5)
