Musica is based on the real-life story of an American musician and internet personality, Rudy Mancuso. This film highlights the life of the musician and puppeteer with the natural gift of being able to find musical notes in random everyday noises. Juggling between both his girlfriends and a controlling mother, Rudy has had a very difficult personal life. However, no matter what the challenges were, he decided to stay firm in his decision to stick by his passion for puppeteering. Why was Rudy two-timing Isabella and Haley? Was his past trauma a hindrance to his path to success? Let’s take a look!
Spoilers Ahead
Why Was Rudy’s Life A Complete Mess?
Rudy’s life was a bit different than the rest, as he was blessed with a musical gift. His ability to catch musical notes in all the regular sounds sets him apart! While his girlfriend Haley had been constantly asking him to think about their future (after their graduation 6 weeks later), he had been completely ignoring her. She wanted Rudy to get a regular job, but he was opposed to that as he believed that he was an artist in the true sense. However, we know that the eccentricity in geniuses get amplified with repeated failures, and even Rudy had been facing something similar. The puppet show that he would conduct in the subway was not successful and didn’t gather a lot of audience.
Rudy’s love life had also been messed up because of his controlling mother, who didn’t approve of Haley. She was intent on getting her son married to a Brazilian woman. When his mother asked him to break up with Haley, he said that she had already left him. His mother immediately arranged for a Brazilian woman, Luana, to meet Rudy. She was desperate about getting her son married off rather than supporting his dreams.
How Did Isabella Change His Perspective Of Life?
Rudy was not at all invested in his studies and thought about music all day. He was a socially awkward fellow who found music even in the chaos of the fish market. Ever since he met Isabella at the market, she had always been on his mind (apart from music, of course). He started frequenting the market and eventually ended up asking to accompany her to the market. When he started talking to Isabella, he felt as if she understood him and his hobbies. She wanted to live in the present, rather than thinking about the future, unlike Haley. Slowly, he started opening up to Isabella and sharing his dreams with her, as she did not seem to judge his career plans. She wanted to stay in Ironbound as she thought it was beautiful and wanted to have a career there, unlike Haley, who wanted to move out to a bigger city (completely wanting to change Rudy’s course of life).
Rudy also shared about his special gift (of being able to turn normal day sounds into a rhythm) with Isabella and ended up being encouraged for it. She understood his gift, even though she wasn’t gifted with the same ability. She tried to understand Rudy’s talents and encouraged him, saying it was a gift that he should put to good use. Isabella was like the special one for Rudy, who understood him unlike anyone else.
Did Rudy Cheat On Haley?
Meanwhile, Haley had realized her mistake of making a hasty decision to break up. She wanted to talk to Rudy and sort things out! She also apologized to him for having insulted his dreams. Eventually, after they patched up, Rudy opened up to Anwar and he advised Rudy to go on dates with both the women and enjoy his time.
Rudy was extremely confused and tried to stay away from both Isabella and Haley. Later, when his mother sent him to the fish market, he ended up meeting Isabella. He couldn’t resist asking Isabella out and decided to take her out on Anwar’s truck. However, when he reached Monroe (supposedly the most notorious part of the city) to take her out, he was shot in his shoulder. Isabella rushed him to the hospital and stayed by his side all night long. The next day, when Rudy came back to his senses, he had a hearty conversation with Isabella, making him realize that he felt extremely connected to her.
Why Did Rudy Break Up With Haley?
Rudy had not been able to break up with Haley and ended up two-timing. He also met Haley’s parents, and they insulted him for his career choices. They also made offensive racial comments, making him feel rejected. However, Haley apologized to him and wanted to start their relationship anew. Rudy had been meaning to break up with Haley as their future plans didn’t match, but Haley was so invested in herself and her future that she was not ready to let him speak.
While heading to the washroom, Rudy saw Isabella in the same restaurant, and she said that she was there to get a takeaway. Rudy was in a tight situation, as at one table he had Haley waiting while Isabella was right there in front of him. He juggled between both the tables, making up different excuses every time. However, he was busted when his mother came there and addressed him. Both Isabella and Haley got to know that he had been dating them both, and when Isabella sought an explanation from him, he said that he was there to break up with Haley.
Did Isabella Forgive Rudy?
After his terrible breakup with Haley leading Isabella to misunderstand him, Rudy was extremely disturbed. He got drunk with Anwar and had a musical frenzy in which he had flashbacks of his messed up relationships and childhood trauma (of his father’s violence), causing him to pass out. The next day, he went up to his mom and apologized and told her how much he liked Isabella.
Rudy later went to the fish market (while Isabella was opening up the shop) and played some music to impress her. He also apologized to her for his mistakes, but Isabella didn’t forgive him at that point. She broke up with Rudy, saying that she wanted someone who would value her and know what they wanted in life.
After the heartbreak, Rudy went back to leading a mundane life and decided to write his thesis based on music and puppeteering. After getting his degree, he made a puppet show based on his own life, which people loved. Rudy had finally been able to overcome his fear of being called a loser and managed to pave his path to success. One day, as he was packing up after a Housefull show, he saw that Isabella had sent him dinner, congratulating him on his dream coming true.
Final Words
Whether Isabella had come back to the eccentric genius is still a mystery, but she definitely supported him in whatever course he had chosen in life. Rudy Mancuso has directed Musica based on the events of his own life. The multi-talented man has also played the lead in the film (Rudy) alongside the accomplished actress Camila Mendes in the role of Isabella.
