There are times when a movie should not be judged by current socio-political climates, when a film should be judged within its own borders and without the weight and complication of the real world. Then, there are other times when a film speaks so clearly and eloquently, when it responds so directly to the current world of socio-politics that the film must be viewed in the context of current events. Signature Move, directed by Jennifer Reeder and written by Lisa Donato and Fawzia Mirza, is that second kind of movie. With its themes of conquering the stigma of “outsider” Signature Move is effectively a cinematic treatise on current events.
We live in a country and world filled with this idea of “outsiders” right now. That there is a normal and an abnormal, one belongs and one does not. At its core, Signature Move is a love letter to those “outsiders”. The film deals with the following groups that could be labeled as such, Pakistani, Muslim, Mexican, lesbian, female wrestlers, immigrant. Nary a white man to be found. By forging the three protagonists, who each have at least one of the above labels, with such care and love the narrative of the film not only responds to the idea of “abnormal outsider” it flips it on its head. By focusing on these people, and not focusing on the white male narrative of normality, Signature Move reveals the ridiculousness and futility of trying to frame one “normal” as superior to another “normal”.
The film also shows that differences are socially cosmetic. The film is about the perception of not being able to fit in or belong, but it is also about how much more humanity has in common compared to any differences that have somehow become social hot-buttons of controversy. The film follows three people who love, who worry, who have desires. Their social background makes no difference in the end. As the film states explicitly, we all have our own paths. Wether that path is Pakistani, lesbian, Mexican, or even Caucasian, the path is intended to head in the same direction. It is intended to lead to happiness.
Each character has their own barrier to happiness, and those barriers all connect to the idea of being an outsider, of being abnormal. Likewise, each character finds their own path to happiness and acceptance. These divergent paths all lead to the same place, though. Their paths lead to each other.
The most impressive thing about Signature Move, however, is that it manages all of this dense and complicated social commentary with a sense of quiet charm. Nothing in this film ever feels dense, academic, or even resentful. It is filled with hope, humor, and compassion. It frames itself as a romantic comedy and succeeds in that approach. It moves slowly and with assurance, making sure the audience gets to know and like our characters.
So, while Signature Move works well on the merits of the romantic comedy genre, the film becomes exceptional within the context of our current social climate. It narratively transcends all of the ugliness, all of the hate, all of the negativity. Instead, this film shows us compassion, humor, and most importantly love.
If that’s not the movie we currently need, I don’t know what is.
