In the world of I Love Boosters, artists like Corvette (Keke Palmer) must do everything in their power to protect their creative juices while maintaining a semblance of a life. After losing a fashion contest held by world famous designer Christie Smith (Demi Moore), Corvette survives by boosting clothes from Smith’s retailers with the help of her two closest friends Sade (Naomi Ackie) and Mariah (Taylour Paige). In order to complete their big job, they apply for work at a store managed by Grayson (Will Poulter), but continuous run-ins with Pinky Ring Guy (LaKeith Stanfield), pyramid scheme talks from Dr. Jack (Don Cheadle), and minimum wage battles alongside Violeta (Eiza Gonzalez) distract them from a larger evil. Smith’s empire is built on a series of lies, and multiple lives are at stake. With the help of a mysterious woman named Jianhu (Poppy Liu ), maybe they can save themselves.
I Love Boosters simultaneously feels dystopian, present, surreal, and fantastical all at the same time. And maybe that’s the best way to visualize San Francisco and the current era of modern America. Boots continuously prepared us, in what almost felt like a warning, for colors that pop and have to be seen in a large screen format and his team delivered in this way. The color palette for the film is so stark that when we shift to muted settings, new locations, or even new formats, the moves really underscore the jumps in the narrative.
Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, and Keke Palmer in I Love Boosters © Neon
Palmer is stunning as usual in this role and continues her amazing run as an eclectic, buzzing, and affirming woman. Her charisma, charm, and overall personality bleeds out no matter what material or textile she’s wearing. Her character leads the film with energy, a little/a lot of stress, and she plays well off of the rest of the cast in every scene.
Paige steals and runs with multiple scenes, the highest accolade for a film with such a deep cast. Even with a diverse group in terms of skill sets and backgrounds, everyone’s characters balance one another out. Audiences will find themselves impressed with her timing, as she plays the comedy relief, straight face, and dunce, depending on the scene. Ackie rounds out the trio and takes a few scenes of her own (as Riley promised). And she might actually be the foundation of the group, bringing groundedness, a realistic demeanor, and some drops of humor.
Riley’s film is both aware of its place in the landscape of film, building off of his recent work, and forging a new path at the same. In a move that could have become a trend for the writer/director, Boots introduces a hard twist in the first third of the movie instead of waiting for the end of the 2nd act, as he did with the “Equisapiens” reveal in Sorry To Bother You (2018). Riley is playing with us and clearly having fun, while keeping us on our toes.
Naomi Ackie, Keke Palmer, Poppy Liu, and Taylour Paige in I Love Boosters © Neon
A fun aspect of the film is how the cast so easily disappears into their roles, both with the help of eccentric characterization, a wild script, and stellar make up and wardrobe. A glance at the credits might make one wonder when and where did each female character actually appear. Cheadle, Poulder, and Adam DeVine as Christie’s Boy Toy disappear too. In what feels like an honorable throwback to films of the late 90s and early 2000s, you never know who will show up in the film as a guest star or voice, and you may not pick up on every choice, but if you do recognize them, it only adds to the goofy nature of the film.
Direct influences were difficult to parse after a single viewing, but I appreciate Riley’s love for the art of filmmaking. The blend of physical models, live action, CGI, and animation made for a fun ride. At different points in time, the film echoes The California Raisins, the meta-awareness of films like The Truman Show, Being John Malkovich, while the smart intonation of Ocean’s Eleven. Riley isn’t remaking these films though, nor is he attempting to one up them.
The critique of capitalism in the film is overt and slathered on thick; audiences won’t miss the commentary, whether they recognize their participation in the system or not. Some viewers will only take away a critique of fast fashion products that are obviously coming from countries other than their own. They may justify purchasing brands that look or sound ‘American made’. Other viewers will see a critique of fast fashion chains like Shein as well as mainstream fashion in general. Yes, many products that Americans use in general are caught up in the industrialization process that makes everyone and everything culpable. There is no hierarchy of rightness here, but we can focus on labor rights and form our collective spirit around class.
Keke Palmer and Naomi Ackie in I Love Boosters © Neon
Because of Boot’s background in funk, I knew the score for the film would be unpredictable. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Boots provided a reading and listening list for audiences going into the film. I still don’t think that could have prepared viewers for the minimalist sounds of Tune-Yards. The film’s sound design is joyful as well, helping to flesh out the neon colored world.
Like his other work, what we have to recognize and appreciate the most in Riley’s work is the risk. Many of the choices in the film might be reduced to placating or simple or out of place, but at no time do we sense in the film that we’re looking at anyone else’s vision other than Boots Riley. The film is fully realized. The gags are funny, the tonal shifts produce whiplash, the acting is fully committed, and even when the film becomes didactic or explanatory, it still works on some level. If you hang with a crew, there’s likely a person that does overexplain after hitting everyone with a nasally, snobbish “Well actually…”. We love this person and give them the space to break down an existential concept before we say ‘why didn’t you just say it plain?’. So especially in their flaws and eccentricities, the characters of I Love Boosters feel realized and fleshed out. We may not like them or agree with them all the time, which only adds to their humanity.
In a move similar to contemporary Spike Lee, the film becomes very direct in its conclusion and wrap up. And this resolution comes right after a zany chase scene that might go on for too long. You’ll never guess how you get there though, in the middle of the street with nothing but a birthday suit, but it’s a fun ride to the destination. Whatever Riley comes out with next, I’m there. I Love Boosters is a must see.
