“Do I Shock U Like Lightning” Sings a Sweet Tune
Everyone who has moved to Los Angeles from somewhere else has also thought about leaving the city. We all moved there with the hope of making it, whatever that means, but it’s an unforgiving place that’s nearly impossible to live in. The cost of living is often too high to allow the average person to pursue a career in the arts, and sometimes you just have to go home. Do I Shock U Like Lightning follows a musician whose time in Los Angeles is coming to an end.
Wardy (Omar Maskati) moved to LA from New Jersey to become a famous musician. He had a brief taste of celebrity a few years ago with a song he refuses to sing now because it’s too “mainstream.” In fact, Wardy refuses to sing lyrics of any kind and describes himself as a strictly melody guy. All that changes when he crosses paths with Ellie (Malia Aiello), a ukulele player who can write lyrics but struggles with melody. The two have an instant connection, and Wardy enlists Ellie to help him cross items off his leaving-Los Angeles list. The more they knock off, the closer they become, and that leads them to a crossroads. Wardy begins to second-guess his move, and Ellie questions her relationship with her longtime boyfriend (Malcolm Nicholas).
Courtesy of Do I Shock U Like Lightning
Do I Shock U Like Lightning is not a musical per se, but sprinkled throughout the film are some extremely catchy songs from Ellie, Wardy, and a few other musicians. Some are charming interstitials, like Wardy’s jingles about the stress that comes from a phone call with his dad (Alberto Henriquez) or the conversation he dreads with his ex-girlfriend (Sierra Santana). Others are actual songs that wouldn’t be out of place on the radio, like the titular “Do I Shock U Like Lightning” or the finale song, “Everyone Everything.” In this sense, Do I Shock U Like Lightning feels akin to John Carney’s brand of heart-on-the-sleeve, music-focused filmmaking. Somewhat cheesy, yet so utterly earnest that it’s hard to fault because of its genuine sincerity.
What ultimately causes Do I Shock U Like Lightning to stumble is a change of direction in the third act. It’s a choice that’s appeared in many films, seemingly in an attempt to raise the stakes instead of trusting the foundation that’s already been built. Maskati is utterly charming as Wardy, the sort of intense, yet deeply lost person who’s desperately searching for meaning in the heartbreaking city of LA. He commands and guides the film through its emotional highs and lows, a sort of North Star for the movie’s themes.
Courtesy of Do I Shock U Like Lightning
Wardy introduces nearly every song he plays in the same way. He says, “It’s not very good. Hope you like it.” Any artist knows the feeling of never quite being proud of the thing you’ve created. Some of the film's most interesting conversations are between Ellie and Wardy as they debate the creative pursuit. Both moved to LA to pursue music, but their paths deviated upon arrival. Ellie took the corporate route. Now music is a hobby she keeps up with and no longer her main focus. Wardy, on the other hand, works his job at a fast food place to fund his pursuit of the goal of becoming a full-time musician. Is it enough to be around the magic of artistic expression and creation? Or does it have to wholly consume you to be meaningful?
Do I Shock U Like Lightning, in its purest form, is about the grueling, life-affirming nature of pursuing a creative life. As one of the characters says, “trying is painful.” It is. The pursuit of anything is an uphill climb in the dead of summer with a fifty-pound backpack strapped to your shoulders. What you must decide, Do I Shock U Like Lightning argues, is what’s worth going up that hill for.
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