Fortunately,
the so-called “Dark Age” of comics never reached Kenya. Jo is a young fan who
does not need her superheroes to die, grow bitter, or turn evil. She could use some
of their invincibility, as she faces her mortality in Likarion Wainaina’s Supa Modo (trailer here), Kenya’s official
foreign language Academy Award submission, which screens during this year’s
Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Nine-year-old
Jo and her friends in the children’s ward love superheroes and martial arts
stars, thanks in part to the screenings arranged by Mike, a local wedding
videographer and budding Tarantino-style filmmaker. Unfortunately, the latest prognosis
is so serious, her mother has taken her home to spend her final weeks with
family. However, Jo’s older sister Mwix is honest enough to understand Jo might
have been happier back in the hospital with her friends and their movies. To
keep her spirits up, Mwix concocts several elaborate charades, placing Jo in
the position of a real-life superhero: “Supa Modo.” Frankly, her schemes start
to go a bit too far, but she is able to re-focus her efforts on one last
project Jo has in mind.
No
doubt about it, Supa Modo jerks the
tears like nobody’s business. It shares many common themes and motifs with Ian
Fitzgibbon’s underappreciated Death of a Superhero, but Supa Modo manages
to be considerable brighter, more colorful, and ultimately more upbeat—even with
a considerably younger ailing protagonist. In fact, it is a sweet valentine to
geek culture that will leave even the most jaded viewers misty-eyed, at the
least.
Supa Modo is also
consistently polished, featuring a professional-grade ensemble. Banish your
skepticism, because this is nothing like the high-energy, ultra-low-budget weirdness
churned out by Nollywood and Ugawood (Nigeria and Uganda). This is a heartfelt
work of quality cinema, boasting some terrific performances. Stycie Waweru is so
earnest and charming as Jo, it makes her later scenes especially devastating.
Nyawara Ndambia is also a real standout as the sensitive sister, Mwix.
The lazy takeaway from Supa Modo is the whole “it takes a village” thing, but you could
also say it takes a Justice League or Jackie Chan. Jo gets her strength from
their examples, as well as the support of her family. It is all quite sweet and
sad, leaving viewers emotionally wrecked. Recommended for superhero fans in the
mood for something a little more real and grounded, Supa Modo screens this morning (1/5) and Monday (1/7), as part of
the 2019 Palm Springs International Film Festival.
