brent biles

Coda is a nice movie, though not a great one. The plot is largely character driven, so the performances must necessarily take center stage. Firstly Emilia Jones is excellent in the lead role. Her portrayal of Ruby is genuine, and the actress never reaches for a moment. Troy Kotsur is stellar as Ruby's father Frank. The movie is worth watching for his performance alone. Eugenio Derbez and Daniel Durant provide solid supporting work as Ruby's music teacher and brother Leo. Which leads me to one glaring problem with this film. Marlee Matlin comes off as a sell possessed woman and honestly, I don't think it was an intentional acting choice. She has a crucial scene near the end of the movie with her daughter Ruby that might have been outstanding. The direction is deft and the scripting on target but Matlin's performance rings false. She never gets out of her own head. Consequently, I can't give it more than four stars.