Moonlight - movie review
Moonlight
Plot: A chronicle of the childhood, adolescence and burgeoning adulthood of a young black man growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.
Cast: Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Mahershala Ali
Director: Barry Jenkins
Certificate: 15 (strong language, sex, sex references, drug misuse)
Runtime: 1hr 51 mins
Release Date: Friday 17th February 2017
La La Land, wait, Moonlight, is the Best Picture winner of 2017. A film that is loosely based off of the lives of its director and screenwriter, just the description alone sounds exactly like something which the senile, white men who used to control the Academy, would hate. With a story of black, gay love and a drug addicted mother, Moonlight was either going to get completely ignored or dominate at the Oscars. Funnily enough, it got the most prestigious award a film can be honoured with.
I have had an interesting experience with Moonlight. I saw it originally when it came out and in a bizarre twist, I didn't get the hype. I hardly felt an emotional connection to anyone and thought the film was fairly bland. Truth be told, I was very unwell when watching it meaning that I simply couldn't focus and spent more time trying to not pass out than paying attention. That being said, the days after seeing Moonlight, I could not stop thinking about it. I'd remember specific scenes and admire how beautifully crafted they were. Then, of course, came the kerfuffle at this years Oscars. I re-watched a couple of clips from YouTube and I came to the conclusion that before I make any form of solid judgement, I need to watch Moonlight again in a well and healthy state. So I did. Safe to say, my opinion drastically changed. The absolute beauty of Moonlight was finally revealed to me so much so that I have now seen it a third time to relive that greatness. Part of why Moonlight is terrific are the sensational performances from the entirety of the cast. Previously, I thought that Fences contained the most effective ensemble of the year. Moonlight surpasses that. From the young child actors to the veteran performers who have been in a wide range of films, no one settles for anything less than fantastic. Our main focus is on the character of Chiron. His life is split into three acts. Alex Hibbert plays Chiron as a child, Ashton Sanders as a teenager and then Trevante Rhodes as a grown adult. Unbelievably, each of these three actors manage to maintain mannerisms to keep the belief going that this is the same character throughout but they also sprinkle in their own takes and individual interpretations of the character meaning that we are able to see Chiron's progression or regression.
Hibbert is a revelation as a child actor. He kicks off the film as our lead and you immediately fall for his struggle. The issues young Chiron faces are unimaginably terrifying for a child but Hibbert plays his role with such naivety and grace, that it is incredibly touching to see this child slowly introduced to a world that he was previously blind to. Hibbert shares a great rapport with young Kevin (a character who has a significant effect on Chiron's life) but most of all, Mahershala Ali. Hibbert and he have great father-son like chemistry but it certainly is no surprise that Ali won the Oscar. Just a polite heads up about everything I said in my Oscar Predictions analysis, disregard everything I say about Moonlight. That was posted soon after watching Moonlight for the first time. Ali is quiet, subdued and gives a powerful performance that doesn't rely on large emotional outbursts. His character of Juan feels very real, authentic but most of all, lived in. It's clear that Ali spent a lot of time and effort getting into the psyche of someone like Juan and whilst he may be a drug dealer, he's the nice kind. The biggest issue that Chiron faces is his mum. Naomie Harris portrays Paula, Chiron's drug addicted mother who is utterly haunting. The fear present on Chiron's face whenever he comes face to face with her is saddening no matter how old he is. Harris is scarily good as Paula. Every interaction she has with young Chiron, teen Chiron or adult Chiron is highly emotional thanks to Harris' amazing ability to act like a monster. She is heartbreaking in this role. As the film moves into its second act, we meet Ashton Sanders playing the teenage incarnation of Chiron. Sanders is immaculate in his performance. Ranging from his development into a young man to experiencing the tribulations one might face at high school, Sanders is note for note perfect. His performance is nuanced and incredibly professional which, considering he's a relative newcomer, is astonishing. And then, in the final act, we are brought to present day to see how our characters have transformed into either grown adults or older adults. Chiron, now played by Trevante Rhodes, is much more street savvy and confident but as soon as he is reminded of the past, witnessing Rhodes' ability to shift back into the introverted Chiron, is fascinating. André Holland also makes an appearance as older Kevin and he too, feels so natural in a role like this. That is the highest praise I'm able to give about all the performances on show here. They are all natural and effortless.
FACT: When Juan teaches Little how to swim, Mahershala Ali is really teaching Alex R. Hibbert how to swim. When production started, Hibbert did not know how to swim.
Having seen the film three times now, it's obviously not a surprise to know that I now love Moonlight. However, my one main issue revolves around the character of Kevin. Being the key romantic interest for Chiron, I, unfortunately, thought he was a weakly developed character who, in a powerful and romantic moment, makes a small and arguably insignificant decision that most will probably overlook. However, I felt that his choice in the heat of the moment fatally undermined his character and took me out of what was otherwise, a beautiful portrait of adolescence and sexual discovery. Apart from that aspect, Moonlight is a flawless work of cinema. It may not have grandiose musical set numbers or extravagantly violent battle sequences but it does what I believe that every single film should put at the forefront if that is the vein you're heading towards. Tell a fantastic story. Moonlight is unlike any romance, any drama or any film made in the history of motion picture. Needless to say, the social context, not just of the entirely coloured cast but the themes of love no matter the gender, is very timely and probably the kick up the social arse that Hollywood needed. One of the most powerful moments occurs in the second act. We see that Chiron is being tormented and bullied by his classmates but what impressed me substantially is how Chiron wasn't bullied because of his colour or sexual preference. Instead, he was picked on because the bullies saw him as a weak figure. Moonlight could have easily strode down Cliché Avenue but strives towards complete originality in direction and writing. Speaking of direction, Barry Jenkins is tremendous. This transcends what we believe to be simple filmmaking. The actors are his paint, the screen is his canvas and Jenkins is the artist. From the colour palette to his fluidity of the camera, Jenkins does not have a frame that is wasted. The film is simple at a first glance but the more you delve into the layers upon gorgeous layers, Moonlight unfolds like a beautiful rose. The further analysis and ability to dig through the initial onscreen action to find hidden meanings, profound imagery and small actions that seem futile at first, are perhaps the greatest strengths Moonlight possesses. Each and every time I've watched this, I have always found a new little detail here and there that has either left me stunned, in awe or emotional.
Would I love to have seen La La Land win the Best Picture gong? Of course. I adore that film. However, Moonlight deserves to win and not just for the quality of the film. It, winning, means so much towards progressing film to a new age where what was one socially unacceptable, is now universally praised. With stunning performances across the board, perfect direction and a story that will always engross anyone who's willing, Moonlight gets better every time I watch it. Beautiful. Magnificent. Stupendous. These words can only do so much to explain the absolute euphoria one can experience upon reflection.
My Verdict: 9.5/10
If you like what you've seen here don't forget to share this with everyone you know, comment below and check out my other reviews. Thanks for reading!
Comments
Post a Comment